Chapter 100: Imprisonment

The system paced anxiously in circles outside, repeatedly trying to contact Nian Zhi’an. It wasn’t sure whether the violently raging power from above had disrupted the signal or if Nian Zhi’an simply had no time for it and had cut off the connection directly, but the little system just couldn’t reach her.

Ever since it had left the factory, the little system had always stayed by Nian Zhi’an’s side. It had never encountered such an emergency before. Although it kept comforting itself that its host had seemed a bit more normal lately, she was the genuine article—a Great Demon King. A minor situation like this definitely wouldn’t faze her; she would surely be fine!

The system circled around the thing on the ground that still clung to a faint spark of life. Finally, at that moment, it sensed its host reaching out to it.

“System, what’s the male lead’s condition right now?”

【He’s still hanging on by a thread. Are you okay?】

“I’m managing.” Nian Zhi’an felt she had been especially prescient. She bit down on the Life-Extending Pill she had prepared in advance, propping up her body so it wouldn’t collapse.

Managing was a lie. In her current state, if she went outside, others would have a hard time believing she was still alive.

However, the injuries on her body weren’t the most pressing issue for Nian Zhi’an. The real problem was the massive depletion of her Soul Power. Once this matter was settled, she would probably need a long time to recover.

Boom!

A massive energy explosion boomed from the sky. The system clutched the barely alive Fu Jun against a large tree. Fortunately, the tree’s roots were deeply anchored and weren’t blown away by the shockwave of the power; otherwise, the system wouldn’t know where it would have been dragged along with Fu Jun.

The “dark clouds” that had shrouded the sky dispersed, and the torrential downpour gradually stopped. The caster withdrew her power, causing the barrier to collapse. Even just the aftermath of her power had drawn the attention of both human and demon forces.

The Merfolk Clan Leader was one of the world’s top powerhouses. Once her power spiraled out of control, it would inevitably endanger countless lives. After learning that the source of this heavenly phenomenon was Zuo Yuanxi, both sides sounded their alarms in unison and dispatched teams to the forest. But the overwhelming pressure ahead made them hesitate to advance, so they could only seal off the affected area to prevent a “flood disaster” if Zuo Yuanxi’s power slackened even slightly.

Yet someone still had to address the situation up ahead. Thus, the human and demon sides pushed responsibility back and forth. The humans said the troublemaker belonged to the demon race, so the demons should handle it. The demons, thick-skinned as ever, claimed the area fell under human jurisdiction, so the humans should deal with it.

While the two sides argued without reaching a conclusion, Nian Zhi’an had already landed on the ground while holding Zuo Yuanxi. Although the water on the ground had receded, the muddy soil still made her sink halfway up one foot.

Nian Zhi’an received the message relayed by the system and learned there was a group of humans and demons outside looking for trouble. But she had no energy to deal with them right now. Fortunately, they still had the Demon Alliance’s Eldest Young Lady with them…

Right, where was that Eldest Young Lady?

Nian Zhi’an’s mind seemed to be working a bit slowly due to dizziness.

Oh, she remembered now—that Eldest Young Lady had been kicked out by her.

“System, where’s Zou Yuanyuan right now?”

【Don’t worry, she’s on her way and will arrive soon… Aaaah!】 The system let out a sharp scream, then hurriedly flew over to mend Nian Zhi’an’s injuries. 【My goodness, did she… do this to you?】

“…It wasn’t intentional.” Nian Zhi’an shook her head, then tightened her hold on the person in her arms.

Zuo Yuanxi needed rest right now. Her soul couldn’t afford even the slightest damage. With her own power to nurture it for about three days, Nian Zhi’an could pull her out of this critical state.

If she were awake, Nian Zhi’an couldn’t guarantee she would listen. So, embracing the mindset that more debt wasn’t a worry when you were already deep in it, she took advantage of Zuo Yuanxi’s weakened state to forcibly put her into slumber using a secret technique of the Merfolk Clan that Zuo Yuanxi had taught her back in the day.

【…You’re already making excuses for her. Is she one of those two?】 The system knew something was off just from hearing Nian Zhi’an’s tone—it was far too gentle. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t sound like that.

Nian Zhi’an didn’t respond, but the smile on her blood-smeared face betrayed her. Even with tears lingering at the corners of her eyes, it only highlighted the joy of having lost and found her again.

~~~

【Congratulations… I thought you’d end up having to fight her one day just to glimpse her soul. Well, you did fight her, sigh…】 The system sighed. These two were more trouble than one each; fortunately, everything had come just in time.

Better late than never. As long as its host’s wife was fine, this world could remain peaceful and steady. Blessings from the Main System—may this person, who somehow ended up in the same world as them, stay safe and sound, and continue to show up across worlds to keep Nian Zhi’an in check.

【I think you might need this later.】 The little system glanced at its host, a hint of schadenfreude in its tone as it transformed into the shape of a durian.

The smile vanished from Nian Zhi’an’s lips in an instant. She looked at the lifelike system-durian, then at the slumbering Zuo Yuanxi in her arms.

“Th-this… I don’t need it… Are the spikes on that durian soft? If they’re not soft, turn into a soft one. I never realized you had this kind of use before!”

【…】 The system fell silent for a moment. Its host was getting more and more willful these days. Before, she could hold out against reality for at least three days with her stubbornness; now, she hadn’t even finished speaking before yielding to it—er, to her wife’s intimidating presence.

【It works, but Host, let’s find a place to rest first. Your legs are shaking.】 Her injuries were so severe, her consumption so great—how could Nian Zhi’an’s wounds be as light as she pretended?

【You need to recover too.】

“Wait a bit longer.” Nian Zhi’an gazed into the distance. The humans and demons seemed to have finally reached an agreement; the two teams were approaching together.

Nian Zhi’an knew Zuo Yuanxi didn’t want outsiders to know about her physical condition. So, after sensing the probing from those cultivators and demons, she directly repelled them.

Although they couldn’t see who stood there, everyone was terrified by the horrifying pressure. They halted in unison, none daring to take another step forward.

“May we ask which senior is clashing with the esteemed Merfolk Clan Leader? We were alarmed by the anomaly here. The two Alliance Leaders ordered us to investigate what happened. Might the two of you accompany us?”

The bolder one invoked the two Alliance Leaders’ names. These small fries had no right to stop Zuo Yuanxi, so they hoped she would give the leaders some face.

“Go back to where you came from. In five days, have the Demon Alliance Leader come seek out Zuo Yuanxi personally.”

That unfamiliar senior voice showed no regard for the two Alliance Leaders at all, carrying an irrefutable tone.

While the humans and demons exchanged uneasy glances, unsure what to do, Zou Yuanyuan finally hurried over, panting for breath. She arrived at Nian Zhi’an’s side and let out a small gasp at the sight of her blood-soaked, wretched state.

“Go send those people away.” Seeing the girl finally arrive, Nian Zhi’an’s furrowed brow eased a bit as she urged her to deal with the intruders quickly.

“Okay, got it. I’ll send them back right now. You focus on recuperating!”

Zou Yuanyuan rubbed her face, then put on a stern, expressionless demeanor as she blocked the two teams. The Demon Alliance’s Eldest Young Lady in her steady mode carried some intimidating weight. Both sides gave her face and didn’t press forward. In the time it took her to make a phone call, she had her father withdraw the Demon Alliance’s people. The humans weren’t fools either; there was no need to stubbornly charge at one of this world’s top powerhouses—er, now possibly two of them—after the Demon Alliance had retreated.

After properly handling the outsiders, when Zou Yuanyuan turned back to find those two seniors, she discovered they had already ditched her and left on their own.

She hadn’t chased more than a few steps before her father’s men dragged her back. Afraid his precious daughter might run into more trouble, he had sent several experts to ensure she had no chance to sneak off after them.

Dragging her wounded body, Nian Zhi’an brought Zuo Yuanxi and the barely humanoid, half-dead Fu Jun back to the villa. The butler nearly had a heart attack at the sight and hurriedly led them to the Merfolk Clan’s Sacred Ground for treatment.

During this time, although the butler kept urging her to heal, Nian Zhi’an only gave her own injuries simple treatment. For the following days, she continuously expended her Soul Power to repair Zuo Yuanxi’s wounds until she had fully stabilized her condition. Only then did she drag her exhausted body back to the single room the butler had prepared for her.

The tightly wound string in her mind suddenly slackened. Combined with her overdrawn power and utterly fatigued body, Nian Zhi’an’s vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

Fainting was also a form of self-protection for the body. Nian Zhi’an had slept for who knew how long. When she finally regained some awareness, a familiar and warm surge of power was channeled into her body.

This power gradually lulled her consciousness back to drowsiness, and before long, she sank into deep sleep once more.

“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?”

“Old Ginseng King, there’s no need to hold back. Just say whatever’s on your mind…”

Nian Zhi’an was roused by these voices.

She had slept for a very, very long time, but this prolonged rest hadn’t brought any sense of lightness to her body. On the contrary, she still felt a heavy exhaustion pressing down on her, leaving her short of breath.

Nian Zhi’an wasn’t surprised. This was the aftereffect of overexerting her soul power—it would take a long time to recover from it.

She struggled to pry open her eyelids. The surroundings were no longer her single room; it seemed to be… the main hall?

Nian Zhi’an blinked her eyes in bewilderment. Exhausted from the drain on her power, she had reverted to her Pallas’s cat form and now lay listlessly sprawled inside a… golden cage?

She flicked her tail against the cage bars, and as expected, she sensed the seal.

Well, just as she had anticipated—she had been “imprisoned.”