FU JING HAD BEEN mentally prepared, picturing all kinds of gruesome horror that would await him, from pitch-black darkness drowning out all sound to a floor on fire with screams of tortured souls in the distance. But never in his life would he have expected what actually awaited him.

It looked almost the same as in the human realm, as if he’d stepped into a mirror, except that the scenery was enveloped in a gloomy haze. It wasn’t anything visible, like mist or fog, but rather as if the light and colours of everything had been dimmed down.

The bushes, for example, radiated a vibrant green in the human realm, but here in the demon realm, it seemed like someone had muted the green and added a hue of blue.

Looking around in amazement, he noticed that some of the bushes bore berries similar to those of the human realm—at least he recognised the shape. The colour he knew them in was red, and he could tell from their blossoms they were definitely the same berry, but in this realm, they were blue and glowing.

The cool air was alive with orbs that soundlessly floated around, each shimmering with a soft golden glow. They reminded Fu Jing of fireflies, but upon closer inspection, these orbs were no living things. When he touched one, it popped into countless smaller orbs.

There was no sun, only an ever-shining moon suspended in the sky, which explained the chilly temperature. The blue above was deeper than in the human realm, yet there were no stars, leading Fu Jing to assume it was still daytime.

This was all too peculiar. To make sure he wasn’t dreaming, he poked his head through the gate and was immediately blinded by the glaring brightness of the sun.

“Changed your mind?” Jin Yang asked with a grin while Chen Xing giggled.

Fu Jing drew his brows together. “Never!” he said before promptly returning to the demon realm.

It was a magical place indeed, but Fu Jing quickly realised using his spiritual powers wasn’t that easy. Thick with yin energy, this place suppressed the natural flow of his inner qi, which circulated through his body as sluggish as a viscous liquid.

Maybe that’s what it felt like for demons in the human realm?

Luckily, Fu Jing had come prepared—as a spiritual weapon, his sword facilitated the channelling of spiritual energy.

As he continued his venture, he soon noticed that the desolation surrounding the gate also mirrored that of the human realm, and he couldn’t help but wonder why. Were demons secretly as scared of humans as the other way around? Or was there another mysterious reason?

Whatever the case, Fu Jing had other things to worry about. He was on a mission!

Yet, no matter how far he walked, the demon was nowhere to be seen. After walking about an incense time, he came across a lonely road house.

It was a shabby wooden shack that looked abandoned and not at all inviting. But this probably was the norm in the demon realm, so Fu Jing approached without reservation and flung the door open. There was no fear in his heart when he entered. He knew he could take on anything and anyone!

Inside, all sorts of creatures were having a drink over random conversations under the flickering glow of candlelight. The atmosphere was warm and lively, not unlike a human tavern—aside from the, of course. Some had horns and wings, while others had just one eye in the centre of their face. Most disturbing, however, were those that bore a striking semblance to humans.

When the door was opened with such vigour, the buzzing chatter came to an abrupt halt and all eyes turned to the newcomer: a pale pretty boy in silver armour.

They sized him up for a minute, then went on about their own business.

“…” Fu Jing had expected a different reaction upon spotting a human.

After the shock of being ignored had settled, Fu Jing cleared his throat and said in a raised voice, “I am looking for a demon!”

The room quieted and the creatures looked at him once more.

“You gotta be a bit more specific. There’s a lot of them here,” one patron replied.

“He’s very tall and muscular. He has reddish-brown hair and two black horns.” As Fu Jing said this, he imitated two horns by holding a finger to either side of his forehead. His gaze wandered across the expressionless faces of the demons. When no one replied, he wriggled his fingers.

At last, another guest broke the silence. “You mean Lord of the South, Xuan Qi?”

Fu Jing lowered his hands. “I don’t know his name, but if that’s him, then yes.”

Another long pause filled the room. “Why would you need to find him?”

“He promised me a fight.”

A guest, who’d just taken a sip of his wine, spat out his drink. Coughing, he slowly turned to Fu Jing. After a moment, everyone in the tavern erupted into laughter.

Fu Jing knitted his brows. “What’s so funny?”

“Do you even know who he is??” a large guest asked. He was howling with laughter, wiping away a tear.

“He’s a demon, what else is there to know?”

“Our Lord is just one of THE four demon lords. And you want to fight him? Look at you, you’re so small and fragile, he’ll destroy you with a single blow!”

Fu Jing’s fingers curled into fists and his face darkened.

All his life he’d had people underestimate him and his strength because of his physique. But he didn’t have time to start a brawl, so he swallowed down his anger.

“So what? I’ve defeated him before. In fact, he was the one who whined about being at a disadvantage, so I showed mercy and released him to prove that I could subdue him no matter where.”

“…” The guests and bartender were stunned, staring at Fu Jing with wide eyes. Some swallowed hard.

“He hasn’t come by, but we know where you can find him,” the bartender, who was cleaning glasses behind the counter, finally said.

Fu Jing relaxed his hands and beamed at the bartender. “Great!” He strode over to the bar and took a seat.

Some of the other guests shook their heads in amusement, letting out mocking comments underneath their breaths. Soon, the people were immersed in their own private conversations again.

“Want something to drink?” the bartender offered.

“No,” Fu Jing replied. Not only because he didn’t trust demons, but also because he only brought little money. He figured human currency wouldn’t have any value in the demon realm anyway.

Instead, he’d prudently eaten whatever nature had to offer and could be found in the human realm as well, such as nuts and berries. He even dared trying the glowing ones. If anything was poisonous, as long as it was in nature, he could easily regulate it with his inner qi.

The bartender just shrugged. “Lord Xuan Qi should be in his palace.”

“And where can I find his palace?”

The bartender gestured to the left with his hand. “You walk through the forest until you come to a village. Pass through the village and continue in the same direction for a few more miles. There will be another, smaller forest. At its end is a field of rolling hills. Once you reach that field, you should be able to see the palace in the distance.”

At first, Fu Jing wasn’t sure if he could trust the bartender—he was a demon after all. But since his tone was devoid of mockery and his overall demeanour seemed very genuine, Fu Jing cupped his hands and bowed in thanks.

He then left the road house and headed straight for the palace.

Or at least as straight as possible. The palace was quite some distance away. To be fair, the bartender hadn’t mentioned how long it would take. As the sky—which had been dark to begin with—darkened even further, Fu Jing could only assume that night was falling.

Although he didn’t want to waste any time, after rushing through the realm for almost a day, Fu Jing had no choice but to take a break.

Just how did that demon manage to return to his palace within an hour??

While Fu Jing was wondering about this, he bumped into a woman with a strong floral fragrance.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Fu Jing said. He’d been so deep in thought that he hadn’t seen her. The lady was a head shorter than him, her lithe figure accentuated by the flowing silk of her robes. She held a sleeve-covered hand to her mouth and looked up at him with a sheepish gaze. Still leaning against his chest, she showed no sign of moving.

Fu Jing had his hands on her shoulders but was unsure whether it was rude to push her away.

She blinked at him with her long lashes.

What… What is going on? Why isn’t she moving?

A bead of sweat rolled down Fu Jing’s cheek. Somewhat paralysed by the situation, he found himself in a stalemate.

“Are you very busy, young warrior?” she asked in a lovely voice.

“Y-yeah, I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“Maybe you should take a break. You deserve it.”

Fu Jing’s eyebrows twitched. What was she talking about? She didn’t know him, so who was she to say that he ‘deserved’ a break?

Suddenly, the other hand that didn’t cover her mouth landed on his chestplate. “I can help you with that.”

It finally clicked in Fu Jing’s head. Of course, she’s trying to seduce me… She’s a demon after all!

“Ah… I’m sorry but I really am in a hurry,” he said, now discarding all restraints and gently pushing her away. But she wasn’t turned down that easily. She leaned against the push and landed back on his chest. This time, however, she hugged his waist.

“We can be quick.”

Fu Jing tried to push her away with all his might, but her grip was too tight, as if her arms were made out of steel.

She is so much smaller and skinnier than me, how can she be this strong?!

“I don’t have any money!” he blurted.

The woman’s seductive gaze suddenly dropped. Her eyes widened and her arms slackened. She straightened back up and gave him a condescending sneer. “So what, is your outfit just for show? Why didn’t you say so right away?”

Seemingly out of nowhere, she produced a fan, snapped it open, and began to languidly fan herself. Her hips swayed as she strolled away. “Tch. What a waste of time.”

Fu Jing gawked at her retreating back, still in shock. The thin layer of cold sweat on his back hadn’t dried yet when he finally snapped back to reality.

Waste of time? She’s calling me a waste of time?! I didn’t ask her to approach me!

He shook his head in disbelief. Now that he’d claimed to be in a hurry, it’d be awkward to stay the night and potentially run into this lady the next day. Thus, he decided to rest in the next town he’d pass through.

By the time he found a suitable place to stay, the sky had turned pitch black and the stars had popped out. He hadn’t arrived at a town, but at a shabby road house, similar to the first one he’d encountered.

When he entered the building, no one gave him strange looks, nor did anyone make weird remarks. Everyone in this realm seemed to just accept his presence as if it was a completely normal thing.

Fortunately, his money was accepted in the demon realm, and he could easily book a room. To save some time, he chose to meditate for a few hours instead of sleeping.