Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 278 - 162 The Disciple of Sword Demon

Chapter 278: Chapter 162 The Disciple of Sword Demon

The abyssal-hued flowers quietly floated in midair, as if drawing in all the shadows of the world, giving off an aloof, cold glamour when dusk fell.

Whisps of deep blood aura peeled away from one cold corpse after another, intertwining and fusing together, then flowed into Zhang Que’er’s body.

As the blood aura infused her, threads of black mist began to appear indistinctly beneath the girl’s skin, winding and coursing through her veins as if there was a dark river hidden within them.

In the dim light, the girl’s face grew paler, yet it emitted an eerie, demonically pure beauty.

"What is this?"

Jiang Shouzhong looked puzzled.

Only Mengniang showed a look of horror—previously at the Demon Venerable’s, she had seen three abyssal flowers, and she herself had a pink one.

"Don’t touch."

Fearing Jiang Shouzhong would touch the black abyssal flower, Mengniang hurriedly cautioned.

At that moment, a figure slowly descended from the sky.

It was a stunningly beautiful woman.

Her long hair nearly touched the ground, her elegant cyan split gown revealed long legs, and the white expanse of her chest was boldly exposed.

It was none other than the master of Blood Spirit Cave, Lou Wanmo.

She looked at the girl protected by the flowers, her expression strange, and murmured, "So they chose such a girl."

Seeing Jiang Shouzhong looking at her with a guarded expression, Lou Wanmo couldn’t be bothered with idle talk, tossing her hair back, she said indifferently, "This girl is chosen by Lord Demon Venerable, I’m here to take her away."

The Demon Venerable?

Jiang Shouzhong was stunned, then furrowed his brows.

What kind of scheme is this Demon Venerable matron up to?

"I don’t want to fight you, but if you insist on hindering me and ruin the Demon Venerable’s big plan, don’t blame me for not showing any mercy," Lou Wanmo said to Jiang Shouzhong, although her gaze was fixed on Mengniang.

She didn’t know that the Demon Venerable was inside Jiang Shouzhong, but she had seen Mengniang before.

When she talked to the Demon Venerable, Mengniang had been hiding nearby. As for what Mengniang and the Demon Venerable discussed later, she was not informed. But it was enough to suggest that Mengniang was quite likely also a subordinate of the Demon Venerable.

"She is one of the Demon Venerable’s,"

Mengniang said to Jiang Shouzhong.

He let down his guard a bit, but immediately said coldly, "This girl will only follow me in the future, not you. As for whatever plans the Demon Venerable has, that’s her business, and I will explain it to her myself."

"Explain it to her personally?"

At his words, Lou Wanmo let out a scoff.

Did this young man think the Demon Venerable was some aunt on the street, whom one could see whenever one wished?

However, seeing Mengniang, Lou Wanmo couldn’t quite grasp the relationship between Jiang Shouzhong and the Demon Venerable. As she hesitated, a weak, soft voice sounded, "I’ll go with you."

Jiang Shouzhong was shocked.

He looked down at the girl in his arms who had awakened.

Zhang Que’er looked at the captivatingly mysterious flowers before her and said softly, "Everyone has their own path to take. Er Liang’s path is a white one, while mine can only be black."

The girl reached out toward the black abyssal flower.

Jiang Shouzhong wanted to raise his hand to stop her, but seeing the determination in the girl’s eyes, his hand hung suspended in mid-air.

He knew well that the girl in his arms was someone with her own strong opinions.

And very stubborn.

Even if he had arrived in time and this tragedy had not occurred, Zhang Que’er would not have followed him.

Just like with practicing swordsmanship

If she believed something was right, even if the other person was Yan Changqing, she would stick to her method and refuse to alter it.

Zhang Que’er lightly touched the Other Shore Flower.

The long, slender petals slowly bloomed, shimmering with a faint purple-black luster. The flower continued to spin and shrink, eventually converging toward the girl’s forehead, where it branded itself.

In an instant, the girl exuded an aura of darkness.

This aura was more like that of a flower growing in Hell, a ghostly and mysterious current flowing upward from the netherworld.

"Have you thought it through? I can take care of you," Jiang Shouzhong said softly.

Supported by the Other Shore Flower which had healed most of her injuries, Zhang Que’er got up from the man’s arms, tilting her pale and delicate face slightly upward, a beautiful smile blooming: "But in the end, I am not Er Liang."

The torrential rain had gradually ceased, leaving only a few scattered droplets falling from the sky.

The blood-red sunset poured through the thick clouds.

The girl’s skirt fluttered gently, like a black lotus blossoming in a world of blood.

Jiang Shouzhong felt dejected.

Er Liang was Er Liang.

Zhang Que’er could only be Zhang Que’er.

Even with broken wings, she still yearned to soar to greater heights.

"Worthy of being the one the Demon Venerable favored; even if the Demon Venerable had not instructed me, I would have taken you as my disciple," Lou Wanmo said with shining eyes, like someone who had discovered a rare treasure, sparkling with delight and anticipation.

Her gaze flitted to Wen Dong, who was utterly petrified, then to the little black creature pinned down by the flying sword, and she said to Jiang Shouzhong:

"They belong to one of the eight great powers of the Demon Clan, the Ghost Gu Forest. They are skilled in raising little ghosts, also known as Demon Infants, to enhance their cultivation. We from the Blood Spirit Cave are considered unorthodox even among the Demon Clan, but these guys are even more bizarre than us. It’s not uncommon for them to slaughter each other within their ranks."

At the moment, Wen Dong’s head was buzzing.

Listening to their conversation about the Sect Leader of Blood Spirit Cave and the Demon Venerable... Wen Dong regretted deeply, wishing he had never appeared here.

He squeezed out a weak smile, stammering with trembling voice: "Respected sirs, I... I was just passing by, and I have absolutely no connection with this place. I didn’t do anything."

"Don’t worry, I’ll make your departure a peaceful one," Zhang Que’er said, the corners of her lips curling into a serene yet cold smile. She slowly extended her fair hand. In an instant, a huge black Other Shore Flower silently blossomed behind her.

Countless black filaments pierced Wen Dong’s body.

His skin shriveled little by little until he turned into a pile of ash.

Meanwhile, Fu Huren, who had been run through the abdomen by a flying sword yet still clung to a breath of life, struggled to maintain his faint breathing. Witnessing this horrifying scene filled him with fear, a terror that reached deep into his bones.

In the blink of an eye, those black filaments pierced his body too.

"As for you, I’ll let you die a little slower,"

Zhang Que’er said with a smile.

Her only act of kindness, sparing a life for Er Liang’s sake, had almost cost her own life.

At that moment, Zhang Que’er’s heart bled.

Fu Huren’s lips trembled slightly, trying to utter a plea for mercy, but all that came out were a few low, hoarse groans from deep in his throat.

In the end, amidst desperate screams, his body slowly decayed and disintegrated, turning into a pile of ashes just like Wen Dong had.

With his death, the little ghostly demon also turned into a puddle of blood.

Zhang Que’er approached Long Yuanyuan, who had now become a corpse, her face still etched with terror.

Zhang Que’er stopped looking at her and said to a silent Jiang Shouzhong with a smile, "Do you dislike me even more now?"

"Not at all. If I had to dislike something, it would only be the past me who should have forcibly kept you," Jiang Shouzhong said seriously. "And as I said before, if you’re willing to follow me, I’ll take care of you for a lifetime."

Zhang Que’er laughed, but the smile was bitter.

She asked, "What about Er Liang?"

Jiang Shouzhong replied, "I was in such a hurry to chase after you that I asked Mengniang to bring me here. Er Liang and the others have been temporarily placed in a relatively safe place. Mengniang set traps and spells, so they’ll be fine."

"You shouldn’t have come," said Zhang Que’er somberly.

Indeed, whether or not Jiang Shouzhong came, the black Other Shore Flowers would have saved the girl.

And Zhang Que’er would still have chosen to leave.

It wouldn’t change the outcome in any way.

Jiang Shouzhong joked, "I at least had to play the hero saving the beauty, right? Even though I’m a bit late."

Zhang Que’er said with a charming smile, "Jiang Mo, don’t tell me you really think I wanted to marry you. I just wanted to make you sad before I died, so you’d think about me more in the future. I actually don’t like you at all, nor do I want to be your little wife in the future."

"It doesn’t matter now," Jiang Shouzhong laughed. "After all, I have many wives, one less won’t make a difference."

Zhang Que’er bit her thin lip slightly, her expression revealing a hint of annoyance.

Mengniang was enjoying the show from the side.

Indeed, on-site gossip was always more interesting.

"Let’s go, this time it’s my turn to say goodbye," Zhang Que’er said calmly, her expression carrying a hint of liberation. "Whether we will meet again in the future is up to fate. Maybe... this is the last time."

In the world of mortals, "goodbye" sometimes means never seeing each other again.

It’s just that neither of them realized it at the time.

Jiang Shouzhong nodded, then suddenly approached the girl and, looking at Zhang Que’er’s blood-stained but still pure face, said earnestly, "Que’er, make sure you live well. As long as you’re alive, I will definitely pursue you in the future and make you my wife."

The girl was a bit stunned, a blush creeping through her chilly complexion, but she didn’t say anything.

Jiang Shouzhong took her slender wrist, hooked her delicate little pinky with his, and then gently touched his thumb to her thumb, like a spring breeze rippling across the girl’s heart, causing ripples to spread gently.

The man’s lips curved slightly upwards, "That’s a deal."

Jiang Shouzhong turned and left, disappearing from the girl’s view with Mengniang.

Zhang Que’er stared at her own thumb, her lips curving into a smile.

Her smile spread from her heart, along her picturesque eyebrows, to her bright cheeks, and slowly to the corners of her mouth, finally resting in that curved arc.

As poetic as a painting, the sentiments of a young girl.

After burying her uncle, Kuang Tianguang, Zhang Que’er left with Lou Wanmo.

Before leaving, she looked back at the plaque hanging on the temple gate, covered in cobwebs – Wu’an Temple.

No shore, no shore, no turning back on the no shore...

If there’s no shore, then I won’t turn back!

Zhang Que’er turned and departed.

Lou Wanmo said with a laugh, "You’re called Que’er, aren’t you? From now on, I’m your master."

"I already have a master,"

Zhang Que’er said indifferently, "Just that one, and there won’t be another in the future."

Lou Wanmo’s face stiffened a bit, but seeing her indifferent expression, he said helplessly, "Fine, then I’m your Sect Leader, let’s not worry about formalities. Oh, I forgot to ask, what’s your surname?"

The girl remained silent.

As she reminisced about these events, the girl felt a faint sadness flow through her heart.

She looked up at the sky and whispered to herself, "Dad, Mom, Sister... Let the kind-hearted Que’er keep you company from now on; Zhang Que’er is dead, from today onwards, there is no Zhang Que’er anymore."

Seeing the girl reluctant to answer, Lou Wanmo didn’t press further.

After a while, the girl turned her head and smiled gracefully, "My name is Jiang Que."

Lou Wanmo was taken aback, then nodded with a smile, "Good name."

In the future, in the Demon Realm, Qu Hongling will be known in the light, and you, Jiang Que, will be known in the dark... Whether the Demon Clan can be united, that’s up to both of you.

----

At Huailan Lake in the Capital,

The lady Jiang Yi looked at the newly reconstructed golden Buddha and clucked her tongue, "How can they say monks are rich? They’re rebuilding the golden Buddha as though it costs nothing, breaking one and making another."

By her side, Yan Changqing was looking into the depths of the lake, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

"What, are you really planning to let that fox demon out? You better think carefully about the consequences."

Jiang Yi frowned slightly, "When the time comes, I won’t join you in the sin; I want to live a few more years."

Yan Changqing said, "Do you think Li Guanshi would deceive me?"

Jiang Yi rolled her eyes, "How should I know? Just be aware of the consequences."

Yan Changqing uncorked a bottle of wine, took a sniff and laughed, "I, Yan Changqing, never care about the consequences of my actions. But right now, I need to investigate thoroughly, lest I be used by others."

Jiang Yi smiled and suddenly recalled something, then she asked, "Between Jiang Mo and Er Liang, who is truly your disciple?"

"Er Liang,"

Yan Changqing replied indifferently.

Jiang Yi’s lips curved slightly, and she wagged her long finger, "You’re not telling the truth. If it really was Er Liang, you wouldn’t let Zhang Que’er learn your swordsmanship on the sly. But I don’t understand, aren’t you afraid that girl will go berserk? Her temperament is very fierce, both towards others and herself."

Yan Changqing’s gaze drifted towards the pale red sky, silent for a long while before he said lightly, "Sword Demon, Sword Demon, if you don’t enter the demon, how can you practice swordsmanship?"

Jiang Yi narrowed her eyes, "Interesting, it seems we will have a female Sword Demon in the future."