Chapter 237 - 236: Cultivation World: I Beg You, Don’t Go Find Her

With the Polar Spring in her possession, Chu Liangyu finally relaxed. She no longer had the patience to follow him around and inspect the preparations for his birthday banquet.

Still, she couldn’t make it too obvious. She trailed behind him, looking for an opportunity to slip away.

Jiang Li seemed to read her mind. He ambled over to her side with a wide smile, blocking any chance of escape.

Chu Liangyu broke into a cold sweat. She felt completely transparent before him, as if she were standing naked in broad daylight.

"Little Cui Hua, you seem a bit preoccupied. Isn’t my birthday banquet enough to make you happy?"

Chu Liangyu’s face was a mask of neutrality. She was about to offer some perfunctory excuse when a faint fragrance drifted past, followed by a sweet, melodious voice calling out, "Lord Demon King~"

Chu Liangyu recognized the voice. It belonged to the female demon she had encountered on her first day here. If she recalled correctly, that demon had been canoodling with Jiang Li in a pavilion.

"Lord Demon King, what a coincidence! I’ve personally prepared a special dish for you and was just about to bring it over for you to taste."

Before Chu Liangyu could put some distance between herself and Jiang Li, the female demon had already stepped forward, taking his arm and creating a gap between them.

"Oh? And what have you prepared? We can have Little Cui Hua taste it with us."

Jiang Li smiled and turned to look at Chu Liangyu.

"Very well. Thank you for your generosity, Lord Demon King."

Chu Liangyu didn’t refuse. In fact, she agreed quite readily. After a deliberate glance at the other female demon, she led the way toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was spacious, with everyone bustling about. When they saw Jiang Li’s group enter, they all stopped what they were doing to greet them before returning to their tasks.

Chu Liangyu had no interest in trying the new dish; she was only looking for a chance to slip away. Right now, the other female demon was her perfect excuse.

"Lord Demon King, why did you bring this Little Crow? This new dish is something I prepared especially for you."

How could Chu Liangyu not hear the disdain in the demon’s voice? She paid it no mind, however, and simply fiddled with objects as she deliberately walked back and forth in front of the female demon, showing off the red clothes she wore.

But the female demon seemed a bit slow on the uptake. Chu Liangyu had paraded past her countless times before she finally reacted, pointing a finger and shouting angrily, "What’s wrong with you, you little demon! How dare you steal and wear the Lord Demon King’s clothes!"

With that, she reached out to rip the clothes off Chu Liangyu.

Jiang Li, standing to the side, saw it all but showed no intention of intervening.

Instead, he casually sampled the dishes, watching with great interest as the cooks worked.

Chu Liangyu hadn’t wanted to wear the garment in the first place, so she deliberately stood still for a moment, hoping the female demon could get it off her.

But the female demon was starting to sweat with anxiety, completely unable to undo the clothes.

Chu Liangyu frowned, finding it strange. She tried to take it off herself, only to discover that even she couldn’t remove it.

Instinctively, Chu Liangyu turned to look at Jiang Li.

Sensing her gaze, Jiang Li looked back at her and held up the food in his hand. "What? You want a taste?"

"Lord Demon King, I don’t think this is a suitable place for me to be. I’ll take my leave now and not disturb you any further."

Jiang Li’s expression was unchanged. He gave a casual nod. "Fine. You can go back first."

Uncertain, Chu Liangyu sized him up again, thinking she must have misheard.

But when he turned back to his own business, she was finally sure that Jiang Li had agreed to let her leave.

"Where do you think you’re going? You haven’t taken off the Lord Demon King’s clothes yet!"

Just then, Jiang Li glanced up at the female demon. He didn’t say a word, but the look was enough to silence her instantly.

Once out of the kitchen, Chu Liangyu didn’t linger for a second, heading straight for the city gate.

She seemed to recall seeing a barrier when she came in. Wondering if Jiang Li had tampered with it, she cautiously tested to see if she could get out.

Unexpectedly, Chu Liangyu passed through the barrier without any trouble.

A flicker of joy lit up her heart. She immediately put on her cloak and hurried toward the entrance she had used to get in.

However, the Heavenly Dao chose that moment to speak. "The one-month period isn’t over yet. The seal won’t open. You’ll have to stay here for a few more days."

Chu Liangyu gritted her teeth, an inexplicable anger rising within her. No wonder Jiang Li was willing to let her go. He must have known she couldn’t actually get out yet.

"What about you? Can’t you secretly open the barrier for me?"

The Heavenly Dao fell silent for a moment before saying, "It’s not impossible. The main problem is that the entire Demon Realm is under that Demon King’s surveillance. If I make a move, he’ll notice immediately."

Chu Liangyu said nothing. She knew the Heavenly Dao was just making an excuse not to help.

Having no other choice, she could only do as it suggested and stay in the Demon Realm for a few more days.

With half a month left, she couldn’t just sit around and do nothing.

With nothing better to do, Chu Liangyu began hunting demon beasts.

Most of her Top Grade Spiritual Stones had been taken from her. If Lou Sang ever found out, Chu Liangyu figured he would die of rage.

Thinking about the supplies she needed to purchase in the Cultivation World gave her the motivation to hunt demon beasts.

Demon beasts could be exchanged for a good amount of Spirit Stones, so she wouldn’t have to worry about running out.

Perhaps because the Demon King’s birthday banquet had begun, Chu Liangyu noticed that the Demon Realm had become much more lively over the past few days.

Many Great Demons who usually holed up in their caves were heading toward the Demon King’s residence. To avoid trouble, Chu Liangyu remained hidden in the cave she had found.

After two or three days of festivities, the Demon Realm finally returned to its usual quiet.

Seeing that the seal was about to open, Chu Liangyu immediately rushed to the entrance.

The seal was open, but only for the span of a single incense stick’s burn. When Chu Liangyu arrived, no one else was there.

She put on her cloak again to hide her form and exited the Demon Realm at top speed.

There were no shops in the desert, so Chu Liangyu had to leave the arid lands first.

Her path would inevitably take her past Lan Yue Pavilion. Associating it with Jiang Li, she took out her map and chose to take the long way around.

After flying on her sword for nearly two days, Chu Liangyu finally reached a town inhabited by cultivators.

The very moment she appeared, Li Jingxuan of the Demon Hall received the news.

----

"My Lord, Chu Liangyu has appeared. She’s in Poyang City."

Something flickered in Li Jingxuan’s eyes, but his tone was calm. "I know. You are dismissed."

He had assumed Chu Liangyu had long since returned to her own world. He never expected that after a month, she would still be here.

The transaction jade he had used to communicate with her had been shattered by his own hand, and now it was impossible to restore.

He’d had regrets, but then he remembered that he couldn’t choose his trading partners at will with that old method anyway, and so he had let it go.

Fortunately, he now had a new jade pendant, one that would allow him to trade with her directly.

Not only that, but he, like Chu Liangyu, could also see the appearance of the person he was trading with.

"What are you planning? I already gave you a new jade pendant, just leave her be."

The Heavenly Dao sensed a hint of something amiss and immediately spoke up to stop him.