Chapter 273: Demon Lord of the demon realm
The next morning, when Qiao Wan came downstairs, she happened to run into Yin Zicheng and a group of young boys and girls.
When they saw her, they nudged each other and gave an embarrassed smile.
"Senior Lu."
"Good morning, Senior Lu."
Fang Lingjun, feeling flustered, awkwardly averted his gaze when he met Qiao Wan's eyes.
It was clear that he still remembered how he had spoken to Senior Lu before.
A con artist in the martial world?
Fang Lingjun lamented internally, realizing that offending Senior Lu was a big problem.
But Qiao Wan seemed completely unaffected, calmly greeting everyone before heading downstairs.
The young girl stood tall, with deep, warm eyes and a face like smooth white jade, yet there was a hint of coldness. Her movements were precise and graceful, a testament to her refined upbringing that even Qiao Wan herself didn't realize.
This was undoubtedly a girl who had received proper Confucian education.
As they watched the girl's figure disappearing downstairs, everyone looked at each other in confusion.
"Lu...Senior Lu, doesn't it bother you?" someone asked.
"It seems like he's not angry," another said.
After experiencing Zang Dajiang's mischief and Qiao Wan's insightful remarks regarding their cultivation obstacles, Yin Zicheng and the others had a restless and uneasy night, constantly worrying about their previous disrespect towards Senior Lu.
Seeing the girl's nonchalant look, Yin Zicheng couldn't help but sigh softly.
Senior Lu really is a skilled person. It seems they have misjudged him with a suspicious mind.
"Although Senior Lu may not mind, we cannot let this matter go unnoticed," Yin Zicheng whispered, "Senior Lu is skilled, if we can befriend them, it will benefit us all."
Fang Lingjun and the others nodded solemnly, "We understand."
After finishing Qiao Wan's topic, someone mentioned Xie Xingzhi, "I wonder if we will have the chance to meet Taoist Friend Xie today."
They spoke with a sense of disappointment and loss.
But Shi Jinyi and the others sitting in the lobby had a different perspective.
Seeing Yin Zicheng and the others wanting to approach and befriend, but hesitating, another group of youngsters sneered in their hearts.
"Hmph, why didn't you do it earlier? We call Miss Lu Senior Lu, don't you believe us?"
Just as Qiao Wan descended the stairs, Hu Yue immediately smiled and offered a seat, "Senior Lu, please have a seat."
Qiao Wan politely said, "Thank you, Taoist Friend Xie."
Yesterday, she didn't sleep well all night. Even if she remained calm, encountering this time travel thing, an ordinary student wouldn't stay calm. It's already difficult enough to stay calm without going crazy.
But strangely, her body, even after several nights without sleep, still felt energetic. She didn't feel tired at all.
What's more, there was something that had been bothering Qiao Wan. It was the "Zhang Changfeng" mentioned by the devil cultivator before he left.
That hooded person clearly showed fear when mentioning Zhang Changfeng. Zhang Changfeng seemed even more difficult to deal with than the hooded person.
To give an example, if the hooded person is like a beginner's village monster, then Zhang Changfeng is like a mini-boss.
She actually had a period of indulgence and laziness, especially when she first started college. Staying up late reading novels was a regular occurrence. Based on Qiao Wan's many years of experience immersed in online novels, if this were an upgraded version, after the character named Cozy Jun and Zhang Changfeng, there would be all kinds of bosses.
After she defeated these small bosses step by step, she continuously caught the attention of the big boss. Fighting against monsters never seemed to end. Maybe in the end, the demon lord named Pei Chunzheng would also be defeated by her.
As she drank, Qiao Wan silently looked up at the sky, her heart filled with conflict and complaints.
But it turns out, complaints cannot be casually spoken.
Just at that moment, a voice suddenly came from the entrance.
"Excuse me, is Senior Lu Wan here?"
Qiao Wan was startled, her heart quivered.
Shi Jinyi and the others stopped joking and looked up.
They saw another person with a black hood standing at the entrance.
It was gloomy.
Shi Jinyi took a look at Qiao Wan and spoke up, "Who is this taoist friend?"
The person wearing a black hood chuckled, "I am here on behalf of my master. I would like to meet Taoist Friend Lu."
Qiao Wan spoke in a deep voice, "Who is your master?"
"My master's surname is Zhang." The person in the black hood shifted their gaze towards Qiao Wan and said, "I presume you must be Lu Wan, Senior Lu?"
Zhang! Chang! Feng!
Yin Zicheng felt a sense of apprehension.
Unlike the ignorant Shi Jinyi and Qiao Wan, he had heard of Zhang Changfeng's "reputation."
This person may not look impressive on the surface, but they were actually a heartless beast. They were born in the Qingxiao Sect and a couple of years ago, they went to the battlefield with the Qingxiao Sect. They ended up in the hands of the demon realm in the southern frontline and betrayed their sect to the demon realm. They couldn't survive in the world of cultivation anymore, so they immediately switched to the demon realm. This person reached their position by stepping on the blood of their masters and senior disciples, climbing up step by step.
"So your master is Taoist Friend Zhang Changfeng."
A clear male voice came from the stairs on the second floor.
The person wearing a black hood lifted their eyes.
Yin Zicheng smiled and politely asked Taoist Friend Zhang, "May I know why Senior Lu is being invited by you?"
The person in the black hood also smiled and said, "It's just that I overheard something from Zang Dajiang and became curious. This Baiyun Village is owned by my master, but there is suddenly a skilled person whose name I have never heard before. I simply wanted to meet Senior Lu."
They are shameless.
When did this Baiyun Village become Zhang Changfeng's territory?
Ji Ling secretly sneered.
However, these inexperienced newcomers were not even worthy of being compared to Zhang Changfeng, so they didn't dare to say anything.
Just as the tense atmosphere reached a standstill, a laughter suddenly came from the entrance.
Zhang Changfeng and the others in the sedan chair became impatient and Zhang Changfeng personally lifted the curtain and entered the house!
He wasn't really a scholar to begin with. This fancy and flowery display was just to save face for himself. He had been waiting for a response, but there was still no letter. Zhang Changfeng couldn't help but snort in frustration.
He seemed quite arrogant. He wanted to see who this Zang Dajiang was, who kept calling himself "Senior Lu", and what made him so special.
"Don't be afraid, everyone." Zhang Changfeng crossed the threshold with a smile on his face, stepping into the inn. "Just relax, relax."
"I have no ill intentions, Senior Lu. I just heard of your reputation and came specifically--" The second half of his sentence got stuck in his throat when he met the calm face of the inn girl.
This...
This is...
Zhang Changfeng widened his eyes, his breath catching suddenly.
Qiao Wan was taken aback, looking at this Zhang brother with surprise. Her smile vanished from her face, replaced by a sudden change in expression.
In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire inn seemed to darken.
Shi Jinyi's heart whispered that something was wrong. He almost drew his sword, but Zhang Changfeng suddenly lifted his clothes and hurriedly ran away with a serious look on his face.
Run... he ran away?!
Yin Zicheng and Fang Lingjun were stunned.
Zhang Changfeng's fleeing manner seemed as if there was a ghost chasing him from behind.
Seeing their own master turn and run, the person in the black hood was also dumbfounded. After a moment of hesitation, he quickly pursued them.
"Master, wait!"
Just as he caught up, Zhang Changfeng suddenly shouted, "Go back!"
"Go back and keep an eye on that person named Lu Wan! Watch their every move closely. If you lose track of them, you'll be in trouble!"
Ignoring the puzzled gaze of the person in the black hood, Zhang Changfeng immediately released a flying device and stepped onto it. Due to his haste, he almost slipped and fell from the sky.
But at this moment, Zhang Changfeng didn't care about losing face in front of his subordinates.
Because... because of Lu Wan...
This... this person, looks exactly like Qiao Wan!
Thinking back to that moment, Zhang Changfeng couldn't help but breathe quickly.
He is not like those ignorant people like Zang Dajiang, he has seen Qiao Wan before. A few years ago, during the cultivation conference, when Zhang Changfeng was still a servant, he caught a glimpse of that young girl from a distance.
This is Qiao Wan.
Zhang Changfeng trembled all over.
This is Qiao Wan who has been missing for several years, the one the demon lord has been searching for. He must go to the demon realm now.
Just thinking about the glory and wealth that will soon be his, Zhang Changfeng couldn't help but feel ecstatic.
That scoundrel Zang Dajiang, who envied him for so many years, could never have dreamed that one day Zhang Changfeng would take his place.
As for Lu Wan, the matter of Qiao Wan, he must not let anyone else know. He must make sure to personally report to the demon lord.
Zhang Changfeng rushed and took his time, spending two days, finally arriving in the demon realm. As soon as he arrived, he quickly stored his flying device and announced that he wanted to see the Demon Lord.
"Please inform the Demon Lord that I have news about Taoist Friend Qiao," he said with a forced smile, bowing and nodding.
To be honest, Zhang Changfeng never thought that the Demon Lord would agree to meet him about this matter.
In the past few years, he thought he had seen "Qiao Wan", but every time he rushed over, it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity or an elaborate deception.
Usually, someone of the Demon Lord's status would simply send a subordinate to deal with him.
But Zhang Changfeng couldn't have dreamed that the guards would let him in.
As he walked through the vast and empty demon palace, Zhang Changfeng felt a chill run through his body, as if he were in a dream.
The palace was dimly lit, with flickering candles providing feeble illumination.
Hidden behind layers of curtains, after several years, Zhang Changfeng finally saw the Demon Lord again.
First, a pale and lifeless hand catches the eye. This clearly articulated hand gently brushes away the fluttering veil and emerges from the dim light, revealing the current demon king.
The demon king, at first glance, doesn't seem like an emperor, but more like a young boy.
The young demon king, barefoot and ghost-like, silently walks out, his dark robe trailing behind, reaching all the way down to the steps.
His appearance is unkempt but effortlessly stylish.
His thin waist gives the impression of fragility. Pei Chunzheng lifts his eyes and they settle lightly on Zhang Changfeng's face. Zhang Changfeng's face, as white as fresh snow, is tinged with a sickly blush. A few strands of his black hair fall in front of his lips and sway gently. The young boy's expression is blank, and his thin lips part slightly.
"Having said that."
"Where is she?"