Chapter 612: Chapter 555: Tit for Tat

At the Monarch’s Return Banquet, all the Demon Ministers show subtly strange expressions.

There had been whispers for some days that a favored monster cat had captured the Demon Lord’s affection, and seeing it today indeed proved the rumors true.

Since the Demon Lord had ascended the throne, they had never seen such a clear display of emotion.

Seated in the Young Lord’s place, Mi Lu’s expression was particularly dark. As soon as he saw the cat in Ning Feiyan’s arms, the wound on his back faintly began to hurt again.

Unable to defy her in front of the assembled guests, Baili An reluctantly jumped atop the royal table and, taking the delicate slice of fish in his mouth, ate it.

Seeing him obediently eat the fish, the Demon Lord’s expression softened, and only then did he set down his chopsticks.

In the long hall, the fire from the earth veins flickered and danced, its light casting shadows on the jeweled crown and intricately lined eyes and brows. The Demon Lord was well-formed, with a naturally vivid and enchanting face, clad in the somber, solemn garb of a Xuan Monarch, yet he somehow reminded people of the beguiling demons from legendary tales who captivated scholars and noblemen alike.

She embraced and drew Baili An softly into her arms. Her demeanor appeared no different from before, and on her pale, delicate neck, one could still faintly see a light band of a red scar, a lingering trace of an old beheading punishment.

Baili An, who had once been a corpse demon, was exceptionally sensitive to the scent of fresh blood, finding common flavors elusive. Now, encircled in the Demon Lord’s arms, he could always faintly detect a subtle fragrance, light yet profound in meaning, hardly perceptible without close attention.

This light fragrance did not emanate from inside the Demon Lord, because Baili An noticed it only when she was in a bad mood, spending time alone, not even allowing him near. When she reappeared before others, she would carry this faint, mysterious scent.

And since she had emerged from her seclusion in the Xuan Court’s cave abode, the fragrance had become especially noticeable.

Thinking of this, Baili An couldn’t help but glance up at her more closely and noticed that the ferocity in her eyes seemed deeper and more terrifying than ever.

This year’s Monarch’s Return Banquet seemed destined for a bloody conclusion.

Baili An felt an inexplicable restlessness, sensing that something uncontrollable might soon occur. He unconsciously looked towards Ning Feiyan, who appeared unperturbed, unknowingly having switched the wine in her cup for clear tea, engaging with the toasting Demon Ministers with ease and poise.

Had her face not been paler than the fox fur wrapped around her neck, Baili An might have wondered just how serious her injury was.

Suddenly, the earth veins of the heavenly pillar shifted unexpectedly, and a flock of crows parting to create a path was a rarity at the outer parts of the Monarch’s Return Banquet, plagued with demons as it was.

The Demon Clan members from all directions bowed their heads respectfully in a show of submission.

A black warhorse leading a golden chariot appeared on the path cleared by the demons.

This warhorse was at least three times larger than average, remarkably majestic, with eyes blazing with blue flames and a presence far more dangerous than any Demon Beast. The single horse and chariot conjured the might of a thousand troops.

Even the fiery flow of the earth veins beneath the throne seemed to slow under the pressure of this formidable presence.

More strikingly, a Dragon Horn grew on the forehead of the black warhorse.

Clearly, this horse carried the bloodline of the Dragon Clan descent.

Ever since the extinction of the last True Dragon and the fall of the Ancient Dragons, it had become impossible to find a member of the Dragon Clan throughout the Six Realms and Four Seas.

The Dragon Clan has always been rare and precious, and even hybrid descendants are extremely uncommon.

All members of the Demon Clan showed moved expressions as the black warhorse pulled the golden chariot to the base of the altar, where the curtains parted as if by themselves, and from within stepped a young girl who seemed no older than thirteen or fourteen years of age.

The warhorse and golden chariot were both grandly decked out.

Yet, the owner of the chariot was dressed in a seemingly careless fashion, as if she truly knew nothing of such finery or was naturally indifferent to the ways of ceremony.

The young girl had delicate features, still small in stature but already remarkable in beauty. Her skirt, dusty and short, covered her knees, and her thin, straight calves extended from beneath it. A silver metallic ring floated around her ankle as if weightless, her complexion as pale as ice and snow, her waist extraordinarily slender.

Yet she seemed unadorned, her hair a tousled mess, resembling a young girl rudely roused from sleep. Her eyes were large but vacant, giving her an impassive, indifferent demeanor.

However, no one present dared to treat her like an ordinary young girl.

Apart from the Demon Lord, everyone in the room stood up to welcome her, including the injured Young Lord of the Demon Clan.

“Greetings, Esteemed Shouhe.”

Shu Ci paid them no heed, leaving the chariot with her bare feet, as white as snow, not touching the ground. Like a small deity untainted by worldly dust, she floated to her seat without ever setting foot on earth.

Once she was seated, others dared to take their seats again.

The banquet atmosphere inevitably grew more oppressive and somber.