Chapter 1104 - 189: Mountains of Forests, Forests of Demons

Chapter 1104: Chapter 189: Mountains of Forests, Forests of Demons

Early the next morning, Chu Nian had just opened her door when she saw Mu Qingge standing outside her door.

A trace of surprise rose in her eyes as she asked, "Qingge? Why so early?"

"I wanted to tell you that I’m preparing to leave now, heading to the Demon Forest. Would you like to come along?" Mu Qingge asked.

Chu Nian couldn’t help but ask, "Why the rush?"

"It is a bit rushed, indeed," Mu Qingge nodded with a smile.

Chu Nian thought for a moment and said to her, "Alright then, let’s go bid farewell to the Phoenix Heaven God Emperor." With that, she intended to head towards the Divine Emperor Palace.

"Chu Nian," Mu Qingge called out to her.

Chu Nian turned her eyes, looking at Mu Qingge in confusion.

"There’s no need to bid farewell," Mu Qingge said.

Chu Nian asked puzzledly, "Why?"

"I already bid farewell last night, and besides, the Phoenix Heaven God Emperor probably doesn’t want to see me now. Uh... or perhaps, he’s too busy to see you," Mu Qingge explained.

Chu Nian found her words confounding.

Nevertheless, she chose to believe Mu Qingge. So she nodded and said, "Alright then, let’s go. The Phoenix Heaven Domain is only a few days’ journey from the Demon Forest. If we hurry, perhaps we can enter the forest in less than three days."

"Alright, let’s go," Mu Qingge nodded.

The two of them set off together, heading towards the exit of the Phoenix Heaven Domain.

As they left, Li Yuan was still in slumber. Yesterday, after Mu Qingge left, she had been brooding for a long time, that inexplicable feeling kept her from sleeping.

Seated in front of the mirror, she found her bare face hard to get used to and called a maid to apply makeup for her.

It wasn’t until the mirror showed a face of perfect flawlessness that she felt somewhat comforted. Afterward, she unknowingly fell asleep.

In her dreams, she had a beautiful dream. The man she had long yearned for finally appeared, giving her a lovingly tender smile.

She had never seen him smile before; she’d only imagine in her heart how beautiful his smile would be.

Seeing his smile in the dream was truly as wonderful as she imagined.

"You’ve finally come, finally willing to come to my side. You know, no matter how heartless you are, in my heart, you are the most perfect man, and only you are worthy of me." In her dream, Li Yuan spoke to the man who appeared in her dream.

In that kind of dreamy haze, she could no longer distinguish between dream and reality.

The man approached her.

The closer he got, the more clearly she could smell the exotic fragrance on him.

The fragrance entranced her, intoxicated her, made her unwilling to wake up. She took a deep breath and said contentedly, "I really like your scent."

"If you like me, why did you want to kill me and harm me?" The man across started to speak, but instead of sweet words, it was questioning.

Li Yuan’s eyes widened as she looked at the man who had ceased smiling, nervously explaining, "No, it’s not like that! If you promise to marry me, promise to leave the Demon Realm and come to the Phoenix Heaven Domain to be with me, or if I go to the Demon Realm to become your princess, then I wouldn’t be angry or impulsive, nor would I hurt or harm you."

The man, with his impeccable and unparalleled face, displayed a familiar cold expression.

As she was in shock, the man suddenly had a sharp dagger in his hand, stabbing it fiercely into her heart. "I only came to kill you for revenge!"

Li Yuan looked down at her chest bleeding, shouting sharply, "No—!"

"No—!" Li Yuan struggled as she woke from the dream, sitting upright violently.

Before her eyes, it was still her sleeping quarters. Her back was soaked in cold sweat. The familiar scene gradually calmed her down. But in her mind, the memory of that dream lingered.

The spot on her chest where the dagger stabbed in the dream seemed to ache faintly.

"No, impossible. If he wanted to kill me, he would have attacked the Phoenix Heaven Domain when the seal was undone. His absence proves he isn’t angry. Maybe, he’s understood my feelings for him..." Li Yuan sat on the bed, muttering to herself. But then she shook her head, saying, "No! If he understood, why let me suffer backlash... no, not right... he didn’t know doing so would cause me backlash, did he? He couldn’t bear to kill me... couldn’t bear to... In the world, without me, what other woman is worthy of him? He must know."

Li Yuan kept talking to herself, comforting her feelings.

When she finally woke from the nightmare and wanted to call a maid to groom her, she suddenly raised her hand and saw her skin slackened, dry, and dull, like withered bark.

"Ah—!" Li Yuan screamed, instinctively touching her cheeks, finding her face also sagging, and even the hair falling on the bed had become dull and gray.

Her scream brought the maids who were waiting outside the palace door.

However, before they approached, Li Yuan shouted them away, "Get out—! All of you get out—!"

The maids, confused, wanted to retreat but were stopped by her shout again.

"Wait! Bring in the mirror and the incense burner!" Li Yuan instructed through the bed’s sheer curtain.

The maids dared not delay and, after bowing, brought the mirror and incense burner before Li Yuan before quickly retreating. Alone on the bed, Li Yuan picked up the mirror and gazed at her face.

When the mirror reflected a face so incredibly old and ugly, no matter how much she was prepared, she couldn’t help but emit an ear-piercing scream.

...

By noon on the fourth day after leaving the Phoenix Heaven Domain, Mu Qingge and Chu Nian arrived at the boundary between the Demon Forest and the Phoenix Heaven Domain.

Standing before the boundary monument, the two of them did not immediately enter the Demon Forest.

"Beyond here is the Demon Forest," Chu Nian said to Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge looked out into the distance, seeing only a vast stretch of undulating mountains. Standing here, she couldn’t discern the true face of the Demon Forest.

"I’ve never been here, but according to ancient texts, the Demon Forest is the territory of the Beast Clan. Unlike our Divine Clan, among their people, there are both those who can transform and those who can’t. Also, there are no cities like our Divine Clan, living in mountains and trading within forests. It’s much simpler compared to the Divine Clan," Chu Nian said slowly.

"I haven’t been here either, but I’ve heard it’s a good place," Mu Qingge slightly nodded in agreement.

"By the way, where is your friend waiting for you?" Chu Nian asked.

Mu Qingge gave a faint smile and said to her, "Once I enter the Demon Forest, he will naturally find me and meet me." There was a contractual bond between her and Yin Chen. Once she entered the Demon Forest, Yin Chen would sense her arrival.

By then, they would naturally be able to connect.

"So we..." Chu Nian hesitated.

"Let’s first head to where you want to go," Mu Qingge said with a smile.

Chu Nian smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons, and nodded.