The Demon Lord’s Peculiar Tour

“Is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like an unusually large number of people are staring at me today?” Dan Fusheng lifted his sunglasses. “I’ve already disguised myself.”

Bai Yu: “Uh…”

Dan Fusheng turned to him, asking, “What do you think?”

Bai Yu simply replied, “Nothing.” He just thought Dan Fusheng was being overly flamboyant.

Dan Fusheng wore a golden, open-collared short-sleeved shirt, adorned with gaudy patterns. Yet, these patterns were all in a single hue, preventing them from overpowering the design.

A dark green, solid-colored silk scarf was tied around his neck, creating a striking contrast with the gold. The scarf was fastened with a circular metal buckle, the chain of which was clipped to the pocket of his short-sleeved shirt.

Though Dan Fusheng had bought this outfit on sale at a small mall, he inexplicably managed to wear it with a distinct sense of fashion.

Dan Fusheng possessed an excellent physique, with broad shoulders and long legs. His firm muscles filled out his clothes, and his height of 186 centimeters made him particularly conspicuous among the elderly crowd.

His hair was exceptionally long, flowing freely in the wind.

Such a person, standing amidst a senior tour group, was bound to attract considerable attention.

“Why did we come here?” Chen Gui felt utterly uncomfortable. He had short hair and wore clothes that were neither flashy nor eye-catching, yet his towering stature made him stand out.

Virtually everyone who passed their tour group would glance back at Dan Fusheng, then shift their gaze to Chen Gui. Those people would be startled by Chen Gui’s formidable aura, but after a moment, they would turn back to scrutinize him once more.

Chen Gui carried several bags, all belonging to the elderly men and women.

He didn’t look like a bad person, creating a strong sense of contrast.

“Oh, careful there, sister!” Dan Fusheng steadied an old woman beside him who had stumbled over something and nearly fallen.

Dan Fusheng had declared his age as 81, making him the ‘elder brother’ of the senior group. He relished this identity and dutifully cared for his ‘younger siblings.’

“The air here is good, and climbing the mountain is beneficial for your health,” Dan Fusheng said, taking off his sunglasses and hanging them on his chest.

“Climbing this mountain won’t give your body any workout.” A mountain of this height could be summited with a light leap.

As Chen Gui spoke, he reached out and took the sunglasses Dan Fusheng had hung on his chest.

“What are you doing?” Dan Fusheng asked, bewildered.

“I don’t like the way you look,” Chen Gui replied, finding Dan Fusheng’s style too flamboyant and the placement of his sunglasses inappropriate.

“What’s our relationship? What right do you have to dislike it?” Dan Fusheng raised an eyebrow.

Chen Gui tightened his grip on the sunglasses, clearly intending not to return them to Dan Fusheng.

Dan Fusheng let out a few “Yo ho” sounds, tilting his head back and raising his brows, fully adopting a threatening posture.

Chen Gui still did not return them.

Dan Fusheng could only give up.

“You two brothers are quite amusing,” an old woman said with a smile.

Bai Yu also found Chen Gui and Dan Fusheng’s dynamic interesting, or rather, peculiar. They seemed incompatible, yet were inexplicably close.

Upon reaching halfway up the mountain, several seniors paused. They took out food from their bags, preparing to eat lunch.

Dan Fusheng had also prepared food, again only enough for two. He and Bai Yu ate, while Chen Gui watched from the side.

Bai Yu felt a little uncomfortable. He took a few bites, then glanced at Chen Gui.

Chen Gui stood beside them, his arms crossed.

Noticing Bai Yu’s gaze, Chen Gui suddenly asked, “Do you think Dan Fusheng is actually a pretty good person? That he has a good personality?”

He used a sound transmission, audible only to Bai Yu.

Bai Yu’s movements paused slightly. Dan Fusheng, seemingly sensing something, glanced at Chen Gui, then at Bai Yu, before finally smiling with a raised corner of his lip.

“Dan Fusheng once had a close friend, the Second Prince of the former Yu Kingdom.”

The Yu Kingdom?

Today’s world comprised six major regions. The demon and monster territories were the most expansive, yet their populations were not large; this area was once known as the Barren Lands.

The other five great regions were once humanity’s most powerful empires. Over millions of years, countless smaller nations had risen and fallen, but only these five empires had stood firm.

Among them, the Yu Kingdom had the largest territory, its borders adjacent to the Barren Lands. The Yu Kingdom had strict laws and was renowned for its bravery in battle; its imperial family consisted of cultivators.

The Yu Kingdom’s succession relied not on bloodline but on cultivation level.

However, their cultivation techniques had been lost. Now, cultivators could only attempt to piece them together from scattered records of other sects. Decades ago, a remote branch of the Yu imperial family was finally found, but their ancestral cultivation methods were less than one-ten-thousandth as potent as the original imperial techniques.

Dan Fusheng was the culprit behind this situation.

Dan Fusheng had utterly annihilated the Yu imperial family, leaving no one behind.

Dan Fusheng and the Second Prince of the Yu Kingdom were close friends? How could that be?!

“Are you two secretly badmouthing me behind my back?” Dan Fusheng suddenly interjected.

Bai Yu flinched.

“I’m not doing it behind your back; you heard me.”

Wait, this sound transmission wasn’t actually hidden from Dan Fusheng?! Was it that blatant?!

“In any case, be wary of Dan Fusheng.” Chen Gui’s last sentence wasn’t even a sound transmission; he simply didn’t want the ordinary people nearby to hear their conversation, not caring if Dan Fusheng overheard.

Dan Fusheng let out a long sigh, like a disheartened parent misunderstood by their junior.

Dan Fusheng quietly moved away from Bai Yu and Chen Gui, joining the elderly people to eat with them.

He did not say another word to Chen Gui or Bai Yu.

Bai Yu inexplicably felt a touch of guilt. Regardless of the circumstances, speaking like that in front of Dan Fusheng just felt wrong.

The central attraction of this scenic area was Mount Demon Emperor, an artificial peak carved into the likeness of Dan Fusheng.

The Demon Lord held a unique place among the demon race. He was bloodthirsty and tyrannical, yet his actions were not truly evil towards the demon and monster races.

The Demon Lord was a figure difficult to evaluate. He had committed countless acts of slaughter, yet he was also the greatest driving force behind the current peaceful state.

Dan Fusheng, Chen Gui, and Bai Yu boarded the cable car. A middle-aged couple and two beautifully dressed young girls joined them.

As the cable car slowly approached Mount Demon Emperor, the two young girls let out faint gasps of surprise.

Their movements were tiny, but Dan Fusheng and his companions had exceptionally keen hearing.

They were two pure-blooded human girls who harbored no hatred for the so-called Demon Lord. After all, a thousand years was a long time for ordinary people. The Demon Lord was merely the protagonist of a story from a millennium ago, a legendary ‘villain.’

Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui both looked at the two young girls.

The girls chatted in hushed tones.

“I can’t see the Demon Emperor Mountain’s face! I really want to know what His Majesty looks like!”

Humans called the Demon Lord ‘His Majesty’? This was utterly rebellious!

Chen Gui’s expression grew more serious, while Dan Fusheng actually laughed.

“The Demon Emperor Mountain’s face seems to have been carved off by True Monarch You Qing,” the short-haired girl sighed.

The long-haired girl shook her head. “That’s normal, I guess. After all, they must have loved and hated with true passion.”

These two children knew quite a lot, didn’t they? Dan Fusheng was somewhat surprised.

“There are even letters from True Monarch You Qing persuading the Demon Lord in the Demon Palace. True Monarch You Qing even sent gifts to the Demon Lord before.”

They weren’t necessarily ‘sent’; some ‘gifts’ were things Dan Fusheng had pilfered from his master.

“Sure enough, they must have been lovers!”

Dan Fusheng: “…”

Chen Gui: “…”

Bai Yu: “???”

Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui exchanged glances. Dan Fusheng could no longer smile, and Chen Gui looked utterly bewildered.

“Humans and demons weren’t allowed to be together in that era. The Demon Lord most likely went so crazy to break through that restriction, but then his lover didn’t stand by him, and he went even crazier.”

“But he didn’t understand True Monarch You Qing, sob sob.” The young girl seemed genuinely saddened.

The cable car reached its destination. The two young girls, comforting each other while uttering incomprehensible phrases like “My ship sank, my CP broke up,” went to meet two other girls who had climbed the mountain.

Those two climbing girls were clearly demons.

The human girls asked the demon girls why they hadn’t taken the cable car with them. The demon girls replied with sentences like “We don’t stand on the Demon Lord’s left,” which made sense individually but were baffling when put together.

Dan Fusheng and Chen Gui stood side-by-side, dumbfounded and silent.

Bai Yu didn’t know how to explain, because he hadn’t understood either, but he felt too embarrassed to ask. After all, their ears were too keen; it wasn’t the children who had a problem.

“Um, Mr. Dan, are you alright?” Bai Yu asked Dan Fusheng.

“Is this how you promote me?” Dan Fusheng choked up.

Chen Gui immediately spoke up: “Although my master… he has his issues, there’s no way he could have had any strange romantic involvement with him!”

“No! You’re overthinking it!” Indeed, a faction of researchers believed Dan Fusheng’s relationship with True Monarch You Qing was extraordinary, but this was merely a tiny group’s speculation.

Those two immature children spoke so vividly, as if they had witnessed it themselves. Bai Yu was also baffled, as he was over a hundred years old and had a generation gap with teenagers.

Dan Fusheng squatted down, silently hugging his knees.

“That’s something popular in children’s circles; it has nothing to do with your mainstream image,” a clear male voice announced.

Dan Fusheng turned his head and looked up.

Standing behind him was a silver-haired man.

A demon cultivator? Wait!

“Ah!” Dan Fusheng recognized him. “Doggy!”

“Jade Mastiff?” Chen Gui also recognized the demon.

The demon, called Jade Mastiff, cupped his hands towards Chen Gui. “True Monarch Yaoling.”

Then, Jade Mastiff looked at Dan Fusheng, who had excitedly stood up, his face filled with worry. “I can’t sense any demonic energy from you. Your cultivation…”

“It’s still here,” Dan Fusheng responded with a smile.

Jade Mastiff let out an ‘oh,’ then asked, “Are you now restricted by True Monarch Yaoling? It’s no wonder; True Monarch Yaoling is already at the Half-Immortal realm…”

“I’m almost there too,” Dan Fusheng continued to smile. “Hahaha, I also made significant progress during my exile.”

Jade Mastiff also smiled. “That’s good.”

“Do you really wish for my cultivation to be crippled?” Dan Fusheng remained cheerful.

“How could that be?!” Jade Mastiff instinctively took a step back.

“You have so many magical artifacts on you; you came here intending to kill me, didn’t you?” Dan Fusheng pointed at Jade Mastiff’s chest.

Jade Mastiff froze.

Was Dan Fusheng correct?

Bai Yu didn’t understand. Jade Mastiff was also a great demon, thousands of years old. Official records documented his life; he was Dan Fusheng’s subordinate, and their relationship was quite intimate.

The authorities hadn’t intended to disclose Dan Fusheng’s return to his former subordinates, so how had Jade Mastiff found him? And between him and Dan Fusheng…

Dan Fusheng’s barrier opened, and the surrounding people instantly vanished. The cable car also stopped at that moment.

“If you want to kill me, I won’t stop you.” Dan Fusheng took a step towards Jade Mastiff. “My death would be good for everyone.”

“Your Majesty, you jest.”

“I’m not jesting.” Dan Fusheng reached out and grabbed Jade Mastiff’s wrist. “Go on, make your move.”

Jade Mastiff: “I, I, I…”

“Not making a move? I’ve given you a chance, you know. If you don’t act, I will!”

“What…”

At five o’clock that afternoon, Dan Fusheng, returning from his city tour, did not go home. He carried a large white dog into a pet hospital near his house to get the dog vaccinated.

Dan Fusheng was in a good mood, while Bai Yu, looking at the dejected large white dog in the cage, felt conflicted.

After Dan Fusheng declared he would make a move, Jade Mastiff transformed into his original form in the blink of an eye. Though no one knew what Dan Fusheng had done, Jade Mastiff seemed unable to revert for the time being.

And Dan Fusheng, who had been disheartened by the young girls earlier, had become cheerful once more.

“See, this is the consequence of hesitation,” Chen Gui remarked, unsurprised. “You can’t be soft-hearted with Dan Fusheng.” He should have just strangled this menace last time.

“Don’t always be prejudiced against me,” Dan Fusheng pouted. “I get sad too.”

“Mr. Jade Mastiff attacked first; Mr. Dan was merely defending.” Although Dan Fusheng’s actions were a bit excessive, Jade Mastiff had dropped numerous attacking magical artifacts after transforming into his original form.

Jade Mastiff truly hated Dan Fusheng.

But why?

“See, even others are willing to speak up for me.” Dan Fusheng looked even more aggrieved.

Chen Gui remained unmoved.

The pet store owner led Jade Mastiff, now wearing a pink collar and leash, out. “Three shots, and you can get a dog license. Please keep this vaccination certificate safe.”

Dan Fusheng took the leash and the vaccination certificate.

“Mr. Dan, are we going home now?”

“Not yet,” Dan Fusheng glanced at Jade Mastiff. “I’m going to the park to see my friends.”

Bai Yu: “Hm?”

Dan Fusheng led the large white dog towards the park.

Jade Mastiff’s form was sleek and beautiful, his fur silver, glossy, and smooth. His eyes were slender, with pupils as fiery red as flames.

Dan Fusheng found the most crowded spot in the park and sat down.

“Ahem, spin around,” Dan Fusheng instructed Jade Mastiff.

Jade Mastiff: “??”

“Spin around,” Dan Fusheng repeated.

Jade Mastiff spun once.

“Stand up and spin on two legs,” Dan Fusheng continued.

Jade Mastiff stood up and spun in a circle.

His beast form’s facial muscles weren’t flexible enough to express emotion, so Bai Yu couldn’t tell if Jade Mastiff felt humiliated.

Jade Mastiff did whatever Dan Fusheng commanded. Eventually, Dan Fusheng even made Jade Mastiff ‘walk a tightrope’ on the steel pipe car stopper on the ground using his hind legs.

More and more people gathered around.

A portion of the crowd consisted of Dan Fusheng’s elderly friends, who were also walking their dogs.

“This dog is amazing!”

“My goodness, so intelligent? Can it gain enlightenment and become a demon someday?”

“This dog is truly beautiful!”

Some of the smarter dogs even hung their heads in shame.

Bai Yu: “…”

Wait?! Was Dan Fusheng showing off?! What? Comparing a thousand-year-old demon with ordinary dogs? Does winning this really bring honor?

“Ah hahaha, he’s not that impressive,” Dan Fusheng said, though he looked quite proud.

“My dog isn’t nearly that good. How did you train him?” Someone played along.

“I didn’t really train him; he just learned it himself somehow,” Dan Fusheng stuffed his phone into Jade Mastiff’s mouth. “Go scan a drink for me from the vending machine.”

The crowd continued to marvel.

“He’s practically a fiend,” Chen Gui stated.

Bai Yu agreed with Chen Gui’s assessment of Dan Fusheng. “Did Mr. Jade Mastiff come to hate Mr. Dan because of his personality?”

“Yes, and look closely,” Chen Gui said, tilting his head to indicate Jade Mastiff, who was poking at the payment password with his paw.

Bai Yu intently watched Jade Mastiff.

“See anything?”

“Mr. Jade Mastiff is very angry?”

Chen Gui: “Have you noticed…”

“Hm? What?”

“He’s actually a fox.”

“Ah?”