The Demon Lord’s Peculiar Affection

“We can’t just… er, dispose of Mr. Si Chen on the spot,” Bai Yu said, beads of cold sweat trickling down his forehead. “He’s the Sect Master of the Qianyu Gate, and his relationship with the authorities…”

“Their relationship isn’t ordinary?” Dan Fusheng understood immediately.

Bai Yu choked on Dan Fusheng’s words, even more sweat breaking out. “That’s also true, I suppose.”

Jade Mastiff groomed his kaleidoscopic fur, offering an explanation. “Si Chen is the manager of cultivation texts in the former Yu Kingdom’s territory. His status is similar to mine in the Southern Region, but he’s much younger—only a little over two hundred years old.”

“More than that,” Chen Gui countered, shaking his head. “He should be over four hundred now.”

“He was an exchange student at our school once,” Jade Mastiff explained. “His cultivation simply advanced quickly.” Having felt Si Chen’s bones, he knew the body’s physical age was at most a little over two hundred.

“We’re concerned that Mr. Si Chen’s situation isn’t an isolated incident.” The official staff couldn’t discern who had issues with their three souls and seven spirits at a glance, unlike Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui. The authorities attempted to solve this problem through artifact refinement, but currently, they had few leads.

“I’ll go deal with them,” Chen Gui stated.

Dan Fusheng clapped his hands by his side. “Wow! The righteous leader who slays demons and vanquishes devils!”

Bai Yu quickly interrupted him. “Mr. Dan! Those words cannot be spoken now!” With so many mixed-bloods nowadays, who could guarantee their ancestors weren’t once a demon or a devil?

When the three races first began to intermingle in the old days, they had all resisted. However, the demon and devil races were simply too beautiful, while humans lacked significant aesthetic advantages. Yet, human culture was complex and dazzling, and the individuals nurtured in such an environment held considerable appeal for the other races. The most common blended families back then consisted of passionate, uninhibited devils or demons paired with refined, introverted humans.

Humans envied the freedom and unrestrained nature of devils, while devils found themselves captivated by how ‘cultured people spoke differently,’ and they liked it. Even now, all three races tend to seek partners outside their own kind. Under this prevailing trend, the phrase ‘slay demons and vanquish devils’ is considered a prohibited term in any region and must not be uttered.

“Then, punish the wicked and eliminate evil!” Dan Fusheng immediately corrected himself. “My junior brother has grown up!” He continued to clap.

“You seem very happy,” Chen Gui said, pressing down on Dan Fusheng, who had been about to circle him.

“Of course I’m happy! My junior brother is about to stand on his own!” Dan Fusheng covered his mouth, feigning emotion.

“You’re happy because I’m moving away from you,” Chen Gui corrected him.

“How could that be? How could you think such a thing of your senior brother?”

“You need to follow me; I have to keep an eye on you.” Moreover, this situation clearly involved the former subordinates of the Demon Lord, so Dan Fusheng had to remain under his surveillance.

Dan Fusheng’s smile vanished instantly.

The authorities could not allow Chen Gui and Dan Fusheng to act alone. Chen Gui’s understanding of this modern world was insufficient, so someone still needed to guide him. Ultimately, Bai Yu became their guide. As he drove a car full of people onto the highway, Bai Yu surprisingly felt a strange illusion, as if he were leading a family on a vacation.

Bai Yu drove, while Jade Mastiff sat in the passenger seat, dressed in a loose-fitting, brightly colored tank top and beach shorts. In the back seat, Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui sat on either side, with Si Chen positioned in the middle.

Si Chen’s symptoms had improved; at least he no longer trembled or cried inexplicably, nor did he utter strange words to Dan Fusheng.

“It’s very strange,” Chen Gui remarked. “No one is observing us.” Shouldn’t those individuals be closely monitoring Dan Fusheng?

“That’s not necessarily true.” Dan Fusheng looked up just as their vehicle passed a speed camera.

The weapons that suppressed Dan Fusheng could not suppress Chen Gui. Those people dared not openly use tracking spells, but in today’s world, there were countless ways to track someone without magic.

The car ride was boring, with little scenery to admire on the highway. Chen Gui picked up his phone to continue replying to messages, but he soon noticed Dan Fusheng leaning against Si Chen’s shoulder, seemingly preparing to close his eyes for a nap.

Chen Gui typed to a commenter: [Wait a moment, I’ll be back later.]

The person quickly replied: [Are you crazy?! Why the hell should I wait for you? Am I your dad?]

Chen Gui put away his phone. He had been chatting with this person for several days and knew that if he sent a message later, the other party would reply instantly. He reached out and supported Dan Fusheng’s head, moving him away from Si Chen.

“I’m very curious,” Chen Gui said. “Can you truly bring yourself to kill him?”

Dan Fusheng raised an eyebrow, glanced at Si Chen’s complex expression, then looked at the solemn Chen Gui. “Asking this question in front of the person themselves?” Truly, Chen Gui was his junior brother.

“You’ll have to face it eventually,” Chen Gui nodded.

“What is there that I can’t bring myself to do?” Dan Fusheng retorted.

“Alright,” Chen Gui understood. “Then don’t lie on him; it’s not appropriate.”

“I’ll lie wherever I want. What are you going to do about it?” Dan Fusheng slapped away Chen Gui’s hand and rested his head back on Si Chen’s shoulder.

Chen Gui merely frowned in disapproval, but he did not push Dan Fusheng away again.

Si Chen’s emotions were complex. The relationship between his past and present lives had yet to yield a definitive conclusion. Especially with the peculiar nature of his ‘reincarnation,’ he couldn’t feel the emotions of that second prince; he only felt as though his body was being manipulated. He was recalling his past, trying to pinpoint which parts of it were abnormal and when he had begun to hate the Demon Lord.

Dan Fusheng had no idea what he was thinking, as he had truly fallen asleep. And Dan Fusheng’s posture…

“Doesn’t he feel uncomfortable sleeping twisted like that?” Jade Mastiff always felt that Dan Fusheng was striking a pose even in his sleep.

“He wouldn’t be uncomfortable even if he disassembled his bones to sleep.” Chen Gui had noticed Dan Fusheng’s awkward posture long ago. He didn’t think much of it; Dan Fusheng had never slept normally. It had been this way since he raised Chen Gui. Sometimes, Chen Gui would wake up to find Dan Fusheng using him as a blanket.

“Why do I feel like he’s posing? Don’t you think he’s sleeping a bit too alluringly?” Jade Mastiff thought Dan Fusheng was managing to exude a sense of graceful repose even while sleeping in the car.

Chen Gui stared at Dan Fusheng, failing to discern any deliberate posing. He attributed it to Jade Mastiff’s prejudice.

Chen Gui didn’t know that their every move inside the car was being watched. Dan Fusheng was indeed concerned about his image, but no one—except Jade Mastiff—had noticed this, including his former ‘old friends.’

In a certain room, a group of ‘people’ gathered around a monitor.

“The Demon Lord just slept the whole way?” They had been staring at the monitor for quite some time, but Dan Fusheng had shown no unusual behavior.

“He should have recognized Si Chen. He shouldn’t be this calm.”

“Perhaps he’s faking it.”

The group decided to continue observing. They watched as Dan Fusheng and his companions found a hotel. They couldn’t yet access the internal hotel surveillance, but Dan Fusheng soon reappeared in their sight—he had gone out.

Dan Fusheng entered a chain supermarket that was running a promotion. He used his points to redeem two barrels of oil and a box of braised duck heads. Then, Dan Fusheng stood motionless at the entrance, holding the oil.

“What does he intend to do?”

Dan Fusheng handed the oil in his hands to Chen Gui. Then, his earring shimmered slightly, and a zither appeared in his hand.

‘Is that an immortal artifact?! He wants to make a move!’

Dan Fusheng shoved the zither into Bai Yu’s hands. Then, he placed the two barrels of oil into the storage artifact in his earring.

The onlookers: “…”

“What is he doing?” someone asked.

“He’s probably taking out his weapon to make space for the oil.”

“Nonsense! The important thing now is to investigate Si Chen’s background!”

“Just wait.”

“Mr. Dan! I truly cannot accept this! I cannot accept such a gift!” Bai Yu held the zither, unsure what to do. “My current cultivation level cannot even utilize such an artifact! Please take it back!”

Dan Fusheng’s storage space was full; there was no way he could take it back.

“Does anyone else need it?” Dan Fusheng asked Jade Mastiff and Si Chen. Si Chen simply pointed to his own face, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

“You can pass it on to your disciples when you die later,” Dan Fusheng offered, gesturing towards Si Chen.

“Thank you, but there’s no need…”

“Oh!” Chen Gui suddenly understood; a realization dawned on him.

Dan Fusheng understood his junior brother perfectly. He casually asked, “What have you realized now?”

“I just asked if you could bear to kill him, and you said you could,” Chen Gui stated, realizing Dan Fusheng had lied. “That’s not right. If you truly could bear it, you would have said you couldn’t, then exaggeratedly performed your benevolence.”

Dan Fusheng: “…”

Chen Gui pointed at Si Chen, declaring with certainty to Dan Fusheng, “You can’t bear it!”

‘Does this little bastard really have to say all this in front of the person concerned? Does he have to make everything so explicitly clear?’ Dan Fusheng thought.

Suddenly, Dan Fusheng recalled some old memories. His master and senior sister were not particularly proper individuals; they didn’t care much for hierarchy and enjoyed a good joke. Whenever the three of them were having fun, Chen Gui would always wear a straight face, deep in thought. He would analyze the humor, and being very humble, he would ask questions when he didn’t understand.

When a joke is deconstructed and laid bare, it loses its humor. And Chen Gui, having deconstructed the joke, would then have an epiphany and laugh a few times to himself.

“Your feelings for him must be very complex. Your past…” Chen Gui intended to continue his musings, but before he could finish, Dan Fusheng pulled him into a barrier.

Chen Gui’s gaze sharpened instantly. “Demon Lord! Can you no longer hide?!”

With that, he was about to summon his destined sword to fight Dan Fusheng to the death. However, Dan Fusheng did not use his cultivation. He simply raised his hand and flicked Chen Gui’s forehead. “Over-analyzing, are we?!”

Chen Gui covered his forehead, taking a step back.

Dan Fusheng stepped forward again, slapping Chen Gui’s back. “Over-analyzing! Stubborn as a mule!”

“Did I ask you to analyze?! Why are you so loud?!”

“Always obsessing over these things—it serves you right that you’ve argued with over five hundred people!”

Chen Gui corrected him, “It’s over five hundred now.”

“Are you proud of that?!”

“I’m not proud!” Chen Gui started to run. “If you have the guts, use your cultivation! Let us fight to the death!”

Dan Fusheng chased Chen Gui, hitting him and muttering through gritted teeth with each slap: “Use your cultivation! Fight to the death!”

Dan Fusheng chased Chen Gui around the supermarket for over twenty laps before his anger subsided. He dispelled the barrier. Bai Yu watched them nervously, only sighing in relief when he saw that neither of them had any injuries.

Chen Gui took the zither from Bai Yu’s hand; Dan Fusheng had given it to him before entering the barrier. Chen Gui shoved the zither into Si Chen’s hands. “I think he still has feelings for you.”

“Don’t be so self-important, True Monarch Yaoling,” Dan Fusheng said lazily.

Chen Gui looked at Dan Fusheng, his eyes wide. Dan Fusheng crossed his arms, deciding he didn’t want this junior brother for now.