Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)-Chapter 37: Treacherous maidservant

After years of toiling and doing menial tasks, her seduction plan went down the toilet, and she changed tactics. To achieve her goal she turned to a darker path. Mo Xi chose to join forces with Demon King Xiang’s enemy, locked in a dark dungeon deep in the mountain. The alliance was dangerous, but she was willing to risk everything for a chance at power.

She grabbed a dazzling black cloak in her room and stepped out into the silent night. The red moon cast its eerie glow, and the maidservant’s eyes gleamed with a fierce resolve. She would find a way to rise again, no matter the cost. The path she had chosen was treacherous, but she was determined to walk it.

She moved silently through the shadowed forest. She put on the cloak pulling the hood to cover her face. It was a relic gifted to her by the late demon king. It was meant to conceal her presence as she snuck around in the passageways. She used it to spy on the other concubines and report to the demon king. Now she used it to sneak into the dungeon to see her new beloved she was conspiring with to take down the half-blood.

Xiang Yu wasn’t merciful to his enemies. Most of them died the most gruesome deaths and the few who were unlucky enough to survive were thrown into this place of torment and despair. It was a place where those who offended the demon king died a painful and slow death. It was at this place where the infamous demon general Bai Jiang was imprisoned. The general, a formidable enemy of Demon King Xiang, was bound in a cruel display of power.

Chains, thick and unyielding, held him suspended from the ceiling, each link connected to the stone walls, restraining his waist, limbs, abdomen, neck, and chest. Some of the cuffs were embedded into his flesh the wounds unable to heal. Below him, a salty pool reflected the dim torchlight, adding to the chilling atmosphere. Each day he was taken down and his body would fall into the salty pool subjecting him to a torturous pain before giving him food in small portions and water. The food and water was just enough to keep him alive.

What was his offence? What was so bad that he deserved such cruelty? He wreaked havoc in the northern realm the first year Xiang Yu took power. He orchestrated random attacks at first, sending his minions to blast explosives through the city, making sure there were as many casualties as possible. He intended to hold the realm ransom and force the demons to go against their nature and deliver their demon king into his hands. The northern realm was living in fear for two months until Xiang Yu caught the general.

Xiang Yu knew that this general wasn’t smart enough to think of such a plan. In the past, he fought with no strategy but chaos, so who was the brains behind him? He offered the general an easy death if he told him who sent him but he kept his lips tightly shut. He only let it slip that her mistress was a goddess after Xiang Yu cursed his backer. Xiang Yu had a feeling that his backer was his long-lost sister. Years after that, he kept the general alive to lure her out, but she never showed her face. It seemed the general was disposable.

He knew he had to do something to get the result that he wanted. Thus came Mo Xi. She had no idea that she was a pawn in a much larger plot. He had someone put her on duty to send food for the general for a week, and just like that she took the bait. Whenever she came here to see the general, Xiang Yu knew all about it. He even made it easier for her to sneak in.

Mo Xi’s heart pounded as she approached the cell. She had to slip past the five guards and almost got caught twice. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the performance of her life. With a practiced motion, she pulled down the hood of her cloak, revealing her presence to the general. Her expression softened, transforming into one of tender affection. "Bai Jiang," she whispered, her voice a gentle caress. "I have come to see you."

The general’s eyes hardened by the tortuous pain, softened at the sight of her beautiful face. A smile, rare and genuine, spread across his face. "Mo Xi," he replied, his voice filled with warmth. "Your presence is soothing to my weary soul."

She stepped closer, her fingers brushing against the cold metal of his chains as she seductively moved her body. She swallowed down her disgust, the clinking sounds of the chains reminding her of her purpose. Given a choice, she would stay as far away as possible from this ugly and smelly ghoul. She resented Xiang Yu even more as those hungry eyes lingered on her dazzling frame. To her, it was all his fault that she had to resort to such methods. "I have been gone for so long that my Lord is now calling me by my name. Are you upset with me for not coming often?"

The general showed a crooked smile that sent shivers down her spine. He wasn’t trying to scare her but it couldn’t be helped. "My apologizes my queen. I have just been in so much pain," he said and her expression beamed like a flower had bloomed on her face. She didn’t ask him about his pain but began complaining about Xiang Yu. She spoke more about him than anything else. It was only when she had let out all her complaints did she take a breath and say,

"That mongrel is taking her pets to the mortal realm. I overheard them planning their trip," informing him of her true reason for visiting him. The entire time her voice was barely above a whisper.

Bai Jiang’s eyes narrowed. This information was very important to his backer. Maybe this time she would act and end his misery. "You must send the messenger falcon," he instructed. "Our backer must be informed." freewёbnoνel.com

Mo Xi nodded, though uncertainty clouded her eyes. "I have never met this backer. Can they be trusted?"

The general’s smile grew, reassuring and confident. "Do not worry, my queen. They will know what to do. And as for my ascension to the throne, it will be sooner than you think."

Her heart swelled with hope and fear in equal measure. "I trust you, Bai Jiang," she said softly.

"Good," he replied, his voice a soothing promise. "Soon, you will be the demon queen of the northern realm and rule beside me." With a final, lingering glance, Mo Xi pulled the hood of her cloak back over her head, disappearing into the shadows once more. She was completely unaware that she was being watched from start to finish.