Chapter 61

The wolf demoness was adamant she was right. She used Tang Qiaoqi as leverage to threaten them. “Stop pretending. It’s obvious your own family doesn’t accept you. How pathetic. We demons are different; we respect all kinds of pairings. Now, let him go, or I’ll tear your wife to pieces!”

Zhu Ming was enraged now too. Her grip on the wolf demon’s hand tightened. “Go ahead, tear a piece off and see what happens! I hear you demons are few in number, that every single clansman is precious. Even if she is my wife, if my wife dies, I can always find another. But if he dies, can you find another clansman this year?!”

The wolf demoness didn’t back down. Without blinking, she snapped Tang Qiaoqi’s arm. Agonizing pain shot through her, and the girl screamed, tears streaming down her face.

She then wrenched Tang Qiaoqi’s tear-streaked face toward Zhu Ming. “You abandoned your own family for her! I don’t believe you’re willing to let her get hurt!”

Zhu Ming’s eyes grew even darker. She didn’t just break the wolf demon’s arm; she set his flesh on fire, roasting it. The wolf demon convulsed, fainting and waking, waking and fainting in a vicious cycle.

The scent of roasting meat drifted on the wind. The wolf demoness wanted nothing more than to skin Zhu Ming alive and swallow her whole.

Tang Qiaoqi and the wolf demon were locked in a mutual stare, four eyes brimming with tears.

“Go on, keep it up if you’ve got the guts!”

“Touch him again, I dare you!”

“Whoever backs down is a coward! Let’s see who drops dead first!”

“You first!”

“No, you!”

Tang Qiaoqi shrieked, “Stop arguing, alright? I’m the coward!”

The rooftop fell into a sudden, awkward silence. The wolf demoness’ sharp ears twitched, and from the corner of her eye, she spotted a group of people rushing toward the area in the distance.

Damn it. They were exposed after all.

Zhu Ming slowly curled her lips into a malicious grin. “Oh dear, I almost forgot to mention—before I came, I notified the Anomaly Management Bureau. By my estimate, they should be arriving soon.”

The Management Bureau? These weren’t ordinary people!

The wolf demoness nearly ground her sharp fangs to dust. She glanced at the wolf demon, who gave her a meaningful look: Time to cut and run!

It was their only option now.

Zhu Ming advanced step by step, pressing her advantage. “Return her to me, and I’ll let you go. I’m a woman of my word.”

Unfortunately, telling too many lies invites retribution. The wolf demoness didn’t believe her at all and spat in contempt. “Pah! I’d sooner trust a ghost than a human!”

With that, the clothes on the woman’s limbs suddenly burst apart, revealing hideous, bulging muscles and thick fur. Transforming into her half-demon form, she scooped up Tang Qiaoqi and leaped directly off the rooftop, speeding into the distance.

She was incredibly fast!

Like a loosed arrow, she was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Zhu Ming far behind.

Cursing furiously, Zhu Ming shaped her Crimson Flame into a rope and bound it around the wolf demon’s neck, forcing him to chase with her.

The wolf demoness’s voice carried from ahead. “If you dare take his life, your little lover here won’t live either!”

“Right back at you.” Seeing she couldn’t outrun the beast, Zhu Ming leaped and landed squarely on the wolf demon’s broad back, riding him.

A wretched, piercing howl erupted from behind. When the wolf demoness looked back, a wave of humiliation so intense nearly made her lose all reason—how dare this human woman ride a Wolf Demon like a beast of burden!

“Just you wait! The Demon Clan will never let you get away with this!” The wolf demoness roared. “I’ll make sure your corpse has no burial ground!”

Grinning savagely, Zhu Ming tightened her grip on the wolf demon’s scruff. “How I die isn’t urgent. But if your buddy here can’t keep up, I’m going to burn every last hair off his body. And remember—wherever you hurt her, I roast the same part of your friend. Just try me if you doubt my nerve!”

The wolf demon beneath her was shaking with terror. How could a human be this vicious? He couldn’t help but ask, “Just who are you? How can the Management Bureau tolerate an Awakened like you!”

Zhu Ming rolled her eyes. “I already told you. I’m not with the Management Bureau.”

This time, the two wolves finally believed her. After all, the Management Bureau could never have cultivated such a twisted villain like Zhu Ming.

Rustle!

The forest shuddered violently, as if something had just darted past.

Then it shuddered again.

Two silhouettes chased each other, one after the other, moving further and further from the university town. This area was extremely desolate. Past midnight, not even a single car passed by, let alone any people.

Zhu Ming wasn’t familiar with this place and had no idea where they were, but she could see the unfinished buildings ahead.

The wolf demoness, carrying Tang Qiaoqi, darted inside one. Wheezing and panting, the wolf demon followed her in.

The moment they entered this shadowy complex, alarm bells screamed in Zhu Ming’s mind. She grabbed the wolf demon’s ear and demanded, “Where are you going?!”

But it was already too late. Without a sound, the wolf demon charged into a room missing its door. In the next instant, Zhu Ming’s vision swam, and she found herself in another world entirely.

A demonic wind surged past. A bright moon cast silvery light, and shadows of trees danced like specters. This was nothing like the pitch-black, abandoned skeleton of a building they had just entered.

Startled, Zhu Ming’s grip faltered. The wolf demon, risking injury, threw himself into a roll and flung Zhu Ming off his back. But Zhu Ming had no time to grab him again because the wolf demoness suddenly hurled Tang Qiaoqi right at her—she was discarding this pawn!

In that split second, Zhu Ming twisted her body mid-air and lunged forward, catching Tang Qiaoqi. The two rolled across the ground for two rotations to absorb the impact. When they looked up, the wolf demoness was already retreating into the distance with the wolf demon.

“I don’t care which side you’re on! Now that you’re here, it won’t be so easy to leave!” The wolf demoness blew a triumphant, mocking kiss. “Have a great time! Try not to die too soon!”

With that, she and the wolf demon fled.

Zhu Ming surveyed her surroundings. All she saw were forests and open plains, with no trace of the unfinished building they’d just entered moments ago. She understood the situation now.

She helped Tang Qiaoqi up, letting the pale, shell-shocked girl lean against her. After checking Tang Qiaoqi’s arm, Zhu Ming cursed. “That wild wolf was far too vicious. Next time I see her, I swear I’ll skin her alive and sell the pelt to you!”

Tang Qiaoqi let out a choked sob and asked, her voice trembling, “Are we safe?”

Zhu Ming was silent for a moment before saying, “For now.”

The moment those four words were spoken, tears streamed uncontrollably down Tang Qiaoqi’s face. This night had been the most terrifying experience of her entire life. She had never been hurt like this before.

“There really are monsters in this world…” She covered her mouth with her uninjured left hand, crying quietly. “What do we do? I want to go home. Can we call the police?”

Zhu Ming frowned, her expression serious. “I’m afraid phones don’t work here.”

Tang Qiaoqi looked around through her blurry tears, finally realizing they were in a strange wilderness. “There’s no signal? Can we just… walk out?”

Zhu Ming shook her head. “I don’t know. If I’m not mistaken, we’re in another space now. Getting out won’t be as simple as using our two legs.”

“Hey, didn’t you say you notified that… Bureau or whatever?” Tang Qiaoqi’s voice rose with desperate hope. “They’ll come rescue us, right?”

Zhu Ming gave an awkward chuckle. “I lied to them.”

Before coming over, how could she have known there’d be real trouble, let alone the rarely-seen Demon Clan? And once they entered that abandoned teaching building, her signal had died entirely.

“What do we do?” Tang Qiaoqi was on the verge of total collapse. “I feel terrible!”

Zhu Ming suddenly stood up and walked away. Tang Qiaoqi’s heart seized in panic. She cried so hard she nearly passed out. “Don’t leave me! Boss Zhu, I’ll pay you! Just don’t leave me behind!”

Zhu Ming picked up a few branches from the ground and walked back, a smile on her face. “Your final payment hasn’t been settled yet. How could I leave? I don’t work for free. Oh, and by the way, you’re paying me extra for this one.”

Realizing she wasn’t being abandoned, Tang Qiaoqi relaxed a fraction and tried to force a smile, though it looked more hideous than a grimace.

“How much do you want?”

“Two hundred thousand.”

“Fine! I’ll transfer it as soon as we get back!”

Zhu Ming tore two strips from the hem of her shirt. Using the branches, she splinted and immobilized Tang Qiaoqi’s right arm. The process inevitably jostled the injury, but Tang Qiaoqi didn’t make a single sound.

Surprised, Zhu Ming praised her. “You’re tougher than I thought.”

Tang Qiaoqi started crying again. “It’s because it’s gone numb… I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Zhu Ming gently cupped her face and wiped her tears away. “What are you thinking, little fool? Without you, where would I earn these two hundred thousand? Good girl, keep up the good work next time. If you have any other friends with a death wish, remember to introduce them to me.”

Tang Qiaoqi let out a wail. “…Wah!”

But as she cried, her sobs abruptly choked off. She swiped fiercely at her tears and stared in terror at something behind Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming’s heart sank. She knew something was approaching.

She slowly turned her head and met a pair of eyes hidden among the leaves and branches.

Zhu Ming: “Hi there?”

The owner of the eyes asked softly, “A human?”

Zhu Ming tried to bluff. “Look, let me explain—”

Unfortunately, the creature had no interest in a human’s explanation. With a flap of its wings, it shot high into the sky. It was a bird, and a loud-mouthed one at that. “A human is here! We’re under attack!!!”

Wooshing sounds filled the air.

Countless birds burst from the trees, launching themselves into the night sky. It wasn’t just the sky—the undergrowth in the distant fields also erupted with noise.

Zhu Ming grabbed Tang Qiaoqi and ran. “Move, now!”

First being jostled around all the way here slung over the wolf demoness’s shoulder, and now this desperate sprint. Tang Qiaoqi’s face was as white as paper. She looked ready to faint at any second.

“I can’t run anymore!”

“You have to run, even if you can’t!”

But animals had an innate advantage in speed. Cultivated into demons, they were even more agile. Within moments, Zhu Ming and Tang Qiaoqi were surrounded by a mob of demons.

“Just what is this place?” Tang Qiaoqi trembled, looking at the grotesque, bizarre creatures closing in around them.

“If I’m not mistaken, this is the legendary Demon Market. A pocket dimension specifically created by the Demon Clan for survival.”

Demons in the modern era were growing increasingly scarce. Where they once fought over territory, they now banded together for warmth. Times were changing, and so were the mindsets of demons.

Zhu Ming watched the demons warily. With a whoosh, fire erupted around them, forming a protective ring.

“Well, well.” A woman with a waist as slender and graceful as a willow sapling stepped daintily to the front, a smile playing on her lips. “Your knowledge is impressive, little sister. You’re no ordinary Awakened, are you?”

This female demon’s pressure was even more intense than the two wolves combined. Zhu Ming put on a polite smile. “Indeed, I’m not. Actually, we were accidentally brought here by some other demons. We never meant to offend the Demon Clan. How about this—you show us the way out, and everyone’s happy.”

Willow Waist let out a derisive snort, amused by her naivety. “Once you’re in here, you’re ours. Humans have killed, captured, and plundered us in the outside world. Who knows how much you owe us? And now that you’re here, you think you can just leave?”

Zhu Ming raised an eyebrow. “If I recall correctly, modern society has established human-demon equality and signed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. What’s this about killing and plundering?”

Willow Waist’s expression instantly darkened. “Indeed, I’d like to know too. Why did you destroy the peace we worked so hard to achieve!”

“We destroyed it?” This puzzled Zhu Ming even more. “Sorry, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

Willow Waist said coldly, “You humans created some kind of Dark Realm space. How many of our demon kin have died as a result? This blood debt must be repaid.”

“The Dark Realm space has inflicted terrible suffering on us humans, too,” Zhu Ming shot back, rolling her eyes. No wonder the Management Bureau was always so frantic—busy inside the Dark Realm spaces and busy putting out fires in the real world.

“Don’t try to deny it! No one but you humans would create something like this. Seize them! Bring them to me!”

As the demons stirred, ready to attack, Zhu Ming immediately flared her flames menacingly. “I am a member of the Zhu Family from the Flower Capital! If you have any knowledge at all, you know what the Zhu Family signifies. Touch me, and be prepared for the retaliation!”

Willow Waist raised her hand slightly, halting the lesser demons. “You’re from the Zhu Family?”

Zhu Ming’s fire flickered. “Seeing this should be proof enough.”

Willow Waist fell into thought for a moment. Truthfully, she wanted the two humans more to vent her anger rather than out of a real need to kill them. She then asked, “And who is she beside you?”

Zhu Ming cleared her throat. “She is the Eldest Miss of the Wenren Family. Wenren Qi!”

Willow Waist: “…Pfft.”

Zhu Ming was stunned. WTF? Why was she laughing? Had she been found out this quickly?

Willow Waist rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “If she’s Wenren Qi, then I’m Wenren Bai. Trying to scare me with names from those two families? However, rest assured, since you don’t want to die, I’m not such a cruel person. I won’t kill you.”

“Then what do you want?” Zhu Ming remained utterly tense.

Willow Waist gave a deceptively sweet smile. “Why, to drain you dry, of course.”