The Dungeon’s Chill and a Demon’s Fury

Su Xiaoxiao had no notion of what a dungeon entailed; such a grim place simply didn’t exist on the merman island in the Southern Sea. Yet, anything uttered by Xiyue’s lips was invariably ill tidings.

Gu Yan, however, felt a surge of apprehension on Su Xiaoxiao’s behalf, finding Xiyue’s decision almost beyond belief.

Swallowing hard, she addressed Xiyue without mincing words. “She will die.”

The Demon Realm was a place of bitter cold, and Su Xiaoxiao’s delicate constitution had already demanded immense effort and numerous methods just to stabilize her condition. To imprison her in a dungeon would be nothing short of a deliberate attempt to freeze the little fish to death.

Though Gu Yan voiced her stark conclusion, Xiyue offered no reply. Instead, she merely fixed a grim gaze upon Su Xiaoxiao, remaining silent.

A sudden realization dawned on Gu Yan: this wasn’t a genuine desire to lock someone in a dungeon. It was clearly Xiyue’s way of trying to coax a soft plea from Su Xiaoxiao.

Xiyue’s temper, these days, had truly become inscrutable.

Standing beside Su Xiaoxiao, Gu Yan raised a hand to tug at her sleeve, silently urging her not to antagonize Xiyue further and spare herself unnecessary suffering.

Yet, these two, with tempers fiercer than the last, were equally stubborn once they clashed.

Her original intention had been for Su Xiaoxiao to utter a few conciliatory words, allowing Xiyue a graceful retreat. Who could have imagined that Su Xiaoxiao would not only refuse to offer an olive branch but would brazenly escalate, defiantly declaring to Xiyue, “I’m not afraid!!!”

‘One way or another, staying in this Demon Realm means death sooner or later. Better to die quickly and reincarnate, and if Heaven’s will favors me, perhaps I can even return to the Southern Sea.’

Xiyue, indeed, as Gu Yan had surmised, had no true desire to imprison Su Xiaoxiao. However, that did not mean she would tolerate such blatant provocation.

“Fine,” she hissed, her gaze dark and menacing as she seized Su Xiaoxiao’s arm and began dragging her outside.

Through the sprawling Demon Palace, Su Xiaoxiao was roughly pulled and dragged, winding through countless corridors.

The snow fell heavily, and with each step through the drifts, her feet grew so numb they were almost devoid of feeling. Her arm felt as though it would be torn from its socket.

Xiyue was almost beyond reason. Su Xiaoxiao, however, was stubbornly resolute. Despite her usually timid nature, not a single tear fell from her eyes. Even as she bit her lower lip until it bled, she refused to utter a cry of pain.

Finally, as they descended into the depths, a damp, chilling cold seeped into her very bones.

In the darkness, unseen prisoners roared and chains clanged, filling Su Xiaoxiao with a growing dread. Yet, she did not utter a plea for mercy to Xiyue.

She was ultimately shoved into the deepest cell.

She was thrown to the ground, her foot aching so intensely that her vision blurred as she tripped over a chain lying there.

In the utterly dark confines, Xiyue stood before her, silent, as if waiting for something.

Su Xiaoxiao was in such agony she nearly fainted. Once she had recovered her senses, Xiyue spoke, looking down at her. “I’ll just wait and see when you finally admit your mistake.”

With those words, Xiyue turned and departed.

The roars from outside had not ceased, their wretched cries making Su Xiaoxiao’s heart tremble.

A scent of blood wafted through the cell, seemingly emanating from a coil of chains thicker than her own wrist.

Su Xiaoxiao shifted her body, moving further from the chains, a wave of relief washing over her as she thought, ‘Xiyue must truly be beside herself with anger; she didn’t even shackle me.’

****

The cold was truly unbearable; the snow fell incessantly.

Su Xiaoxiao huddled into a tight ball, her eyebrows and long lashes frosted with ice. The bleeding wound on her foot throbbed with increased agony, and her chest felt as if a branding iron had been pressed against it.

The only difference was this:

In the absolute darkness, the red jade bracelet on Su Xiaoxiao’s wrist emitted a faint glow. The bracelet itself felt faintly warm, proving to be the sole source of heat on her entire body.

Just days prior, when Xiyue had forcefully fastened the bracelet to Su Xiaoxiao’s wrist, Su Xiaoxiao had despised it, attempting to pry it off and even strike it, yet failing to remove it or inflict the slightest crack.

Now, in her semi-conscious state, Su Xiaoxiao could only cling tightly to the red jade bracelet.

Pearls scattered across the damp, frigid ground. Curled into a ball, Su Xiaoxiao felt a profound despair, thinking, ‘I truly might die here. I’ll never return to the Southern Sea.’

****

Meanwhile, Xiyue, after imprisoning Su Xiaoxiao in the dungeon, stormed back to the small courtyard where Su Xiaoxiao resided.

Gu Yan had not yet departed. She watched as Xiyue strode furiously into the courtyard and, in a fit of rage, uprooted the begonia tree planted by the pond.

Gu Yan: “…”

She had initially assumed Xiyue’s fury hadn’t subsided. However, upon noticing a faint, flickering mark on Xiyue’s forehead, she rushed forward without hesitation to stop her.

“Your Excellency!!!”

Xiyue cast a sharp glance, a murderous intent seeming to flicker in her eyes.

Gu Yan froze in astonishment. Xiyue had torn out the flourishing begonia tree, scattering petals across the ground.

Gu Yan, momentarily forgetting her heartache over the begonia tree she had painstakingly acquired from the Flower Clan, turned to Xiyue. “How could you have fallen so deeply into demonic possession…?”

“Your heavenly tribulation to transform into a dragon is approaching rapidly. This will only hasten its arrival.”

Xiyue clutched her head, her brows tightly furrowed, her expression one of profound agony.

Gu Yan could only help her regulate her breath, subsequently discovering that the injuries Xiyue had sustained during her previous cultivation had not only failed to heal but appeared to be worsening.

There was no time for anything else.

No matter how scornful or averse Xiyue was to taking medicine, Gu Yan would not heed her protests this time.

Gu Yan was not a demon; she could not possess the same cold-blooded ruthlessness as Xiyue and her kind.

A Ghost Doctor, after all, still bore the title of ‘doctor,’ embodying a compassionate heart. Moreover, if not for Xiyue, Gu Yan would not have enjoyed thousands of years of peace.

Gu Yan swiftly brewed a bowl of medicinal soup for Xiyue. When she placed it before her, Xiyue merely stared blankly at the dark concoction, lost in thought, though what she pondered remained unknown.

Ultimately, Xiyue did not drink the medicine. Merely by regulating her breath, the mark that had suddenly appeared on her forehead vanished without a trace.

Gu Yan had initially tried to persuade her to drink the medicine as well, but Xiyue, irritated, simply smashed the bowl.

Gu Yan was speechless, her eyes rolling in exasperation one after another, unable to stop.

Finally, seeing Xiyue’s face restored to its usual calm, she cautiously probed, “The snow outside is falling too heavily. The little fish won’t be able to endure it.”

Her intention had been to persuade Xiyue, but the result was precisely the opposite. Xiyue summoned several demon attendants and, pointing to the braziers inside, commanded, “Take all of these out and throw them away.”

Gu Yan: “…”

The Demon Lord’s command was not to be disobeyed.

Once the braziers were carried away, the temperature in the bedchamber quickly plummeted.

This small courtyard had been haphazardly assigned when Su Xiaoxiao was first captured; it was not Xiyue’s usual dwelling.

Yet, these past days, Xiyue had frequently stayed here, rarely returning to her own grand palace.

Xiyue sat for a moment, then rose and departed, with Gu Yan following close behind.

Overwhelmed by concern that Su Xiaoxiao’s body would not withstand the bitter cold—and fearing that if anything truly happened, this ‘iron tree’ that had finally bloomed would be destroyed—Gu Yan mustered her courage and shouted after Xiyue’s retreating figure, “The medicine I just brewed is still hot. It would be a waste to pour it away, so I’ll take it to the dungeon!”

Xiyue continued walking briskly, never looking back, never pausing, as if she hadn’t heard Gu Yan’s words at all.

Witnessing her demeanor, Gu Yan couldn’t help but cluck her tongue. “How truly stubborn.”