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It hurts.
He didn't know it would come to this- No. He did know, he just didn't expect it to be so soon. Shen Jiu never anticipated that his end would be in this same dim and suffocating place he had done something considerably good for someone else.
Someone who isn't Qi-ge…
A place he had met an amusing animal, a creature just as pitiful as him.
How ironic would it be if the snake he had saved ended up outliving him? It's quite the fitting end for someone like him, an existence born miserable and will die miserable.
It seems he would meet his Qi-ge much earlier than he wanted.
Shen Jiu could only lay there dying, with his eyelids growing heavier and breathing becoming fainter. He couldn't even feel his limbs anymore, that bastard Wu Yanzi did him good this time. He was truly helpless, and dying too.
His demonic master had grown tired, or maybe he just wanted to get rid of him. Whatever it is, it resulted to Shen Jiu getting stabbed to the ground, his own blood pooling all around him.
‘Am I really going to die like this? Stabbed and forgotten?’
He could only wallow on his regrets, unshed tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. Everything felt heavy but his heart… His heart felt the heaviest. And he wasn't even stabbed there- how foolish.
Shen Jiu remembers that disfigured snake and wonders if that little creature ever made it out alive from here. Or did Shen Jiu submit him to an even much greater pain?
He doesn't know, not yet atleast.
‘Can snakes even go to the afterlife?’
Ah. He's starting to think of nonsense, be really must be dying now.
Schuck!!
“Ahhh!!!!!”
(-_-;)・・・
‘Why is someone screaming? Am I in hell? Fuck, I knew I would land here.’
Someone is screaming their throat out, sounding so afraid that Shen Jiu would've been too if he wasn't already fucking dying. What's there to fear when he's already on death's door, if anything— whatever's out there would probably only speed up the process.
And isn't that a fucking good thing.
Dying by stab wounds isn't nice, it really fucking hurts.
“Fuck!! Why is there a powerful demon here?!”
“Wu Yanzi- You didn't tell us anything about snake demons! Much less a demon of this caliber!”
“Wha-”
“Shi! There's another, look out!”
Oh, it seems his dutiful and honorable shifu is facing some errors in his end. Good for him. ‘Go die, fuckface.’
If he had the strength to smile or even laugh, he really would. Regardless, it is relieving to know that his shitty fake-ass Shizun would still die a painful death, no less than what he deserved.
But still, a snake?
What a great coincidence.
His hearing is rapidly failing him but he could still vaguely hear someone making their way to him. Shen Jiu takes it back. ‘is this demon general or whatever planning to eat me? Fuck- I'm already dead, just leave me to die..!’
He internally prayed to every deity he has long forsaken to atleast give him the dignity to die while living a body behind, fuck it- he doesn't even need to be buried! Just leave his remains to rot and turn to dust naturally!
“Shen-gongzi.”
Huh?
A man's voice?
Was this… man-creature speaking to him? Why was it? What the fuck is happening?
Shen Jiu wanted to open his eyes, but he really couldn't. He didn't even know if he was still breathing, he truly felt dead. He felt numb and he couldn't move, it's a terrifying experience.
“I'm sorry for being late.”
His hearing was already fucking itself up but he still heard the other man's words pretty clearly, and the implications of what was said slowly downed to Shen Jiu in his already ruined state.
It seems he had saved a demon general, accidentally of course.
“Oh~ Is he your savior, my dear nephew?”
Another one, a man as well— and considering it was the snake's uncle allegedly, it must also be a pretty powerful demon. They managed to kill Wu Yanzi and his cohorts after all, that is not an easy feat; even immortals had yet to succeed in subjucating his master.
‘Well, I guess it's good to do good things once in a while…’
Shen Jiu found the whole things so funny, who would've know he'd end up saving a demon general of all things? Not that it can help him right now, he's too far gone. Still, it's nice that-
“Nephew, what are you waiting for?” The little snake's ‘uncle’ steps closer, and was probably looking down on Shen Jiu's dying self. ‘How embarrassing to be seen in such a state by a powerful individual…’
“Activate the array, we can still tether your friend back to the living y’know?”
What?
ಠ‿ಠ
“I mean… he wouldn't be alive, much less human— but hey! He'll live and that's all that matters!”
What the fuck did that mean?
“Would he even want it, Junshang?” The snake not-actually or maybe is a snake, definitely a demon general that he kind of saved spoke, sounding defeated.
Want what? Whatever it is, if it means that Shen Jiu can live— he'll take it!
“We should respect his decision, Junshang…”
What decision, you bumbling fool?!
“Shen-gongzi wouldn't want this.”
Who are you to decide that?!?!
The ‘uncle’ sighs, seemingly accepting his stupid nephew's words in face value. If Shen Jiu did die, he'd return as a vengeful spirit and haunt this two to their graves for letting him die like a shit-stain like this!
“Very well, let's leave. We must seal this cave to prevent further-”
No.
No, no, no!
They can't leave like this, they can't just leave him behind after saying there is actually a chance for him to live!
He won't let them.
All so suddenly, Shen Jiu felt a surge of unexplainable power bursting through him which is strange because he was sure he is dead. He sat up from the bloody mess of blood and innards, his innards—how the fuck is he standing, no, how the hell is he alive?
“Wait..!” He reached for the retreating figures of the two with a shout, and an ebony ribbon-like thing attempts to latch on the closest man's wrist, to pull him back with the emotion running through its source- panic.
It was parried away.
Shen Jiu looks at it with wide eyes, trying to see just where the hell it came from just to realize it was coming from him! His lower back to be specific which it grew rooted on his tailbone. Fuck.
What is this?
Aghast, he pulled at it and felt. He felt the sensation! How the hell- Then something slammed right to him, holding him against the rough and cutting wall of the cave, he is sure something tore, he just couldn't feel it.
“Another pest.”
As if dying once wasn't enough, Shen Jiu found himself against the wall with a sword pierced straight through his heart; he could only stare at it dumbfounded. A demonic sword, it can't be anything else.
Well, it's his first, ehem, second time dying. It's been short but well… it was nice when it lasted- is what he would say if he was a little bitch that's what!
“Fuck! Are you insane-” He angrily spat out, glaring.
The tall piece of shit only grins, wicked with his red and black ensemble. “Mental, dumb, brainless-” Demon lord looking head-ass, Shen Jiu wants to punch a hole to his smug face.
“-Wait Junshang!”
Then he remembers, these people were going to be his new chance at life. Quite literally. And he's in no position to offend them, just considering how easy it was for them to get rid of his shit shifu and his croonies.
“S-Shen-gongzi?” The white-haired one called out to him, his gold-slit gaze locking Shen Jiu in his spot. He recognizes those eyes and that face. It was the man that he often bumped into, the one dumb enough to give him precious items for lesser the price.
Sometimes, he would even give them for free! All the while making all the excuses in the world about how (1) he didn't need them, (2) it was an old stock so he made it cheaper, and the worst one (3) he just found them lying on the road.
‘He was the snake all these time?!’
A second of silence permeates the air before it was dispelled.
“You're that snake!”
“Yes, that was this one.”
The one who lynched him at the fucking wall just observed their not-so casual conversation, amusement evident by the ugly sly smile. It pisses him of.
“Oh~ I didn't know, my bad!” And as if he had not just stabbed Shen Jiu, the asshole grabs ahold of the handle of his sword and pulls it off clean in one yank— the young man slumps to the ground unceremoniously, scowling.
The humanoid snake that is not little in any way gives Shen Jiu a strained smile; it was not like those usual strained fake smiles but more like a smile of someone who is not used to doing so.
He approached Shen Jiu and strangely, he didn't feel any bout of fear. He felt calm, like the much taller and stronger man couldn't just snap his neck like a twig.
“Shen-gongzi… How do you feel right now?”
Of all things to say, he really chose that? That was a little bit noncommittal but whatever, it's good enough to continue their conversation anyway.
“I… think I'm fine?”
They were both interrupted by a choked gasp and delirious laughter which stole both of their attention, there on the wall leaned his scum shifu— a black talisman in his grasp with indiscernible red writing and immediately, Shen Jiu screamed.
“Shit! Get out- he's going to unleash a flock of undead!”
With a manic look, Wu Yanzi burns the paper and throws it to the ground.
Shhh…
There was silence before chaos overlapped everything, skeletons of the dead slowly rising from the ground with an ear-piercing wail. With his shitty luck, one spawned right beside him for some fucking reason.
It leapt to him with an absurd and unfair speed, clawed fingers outstretched— then gets slammed to the ground with a crunch, the ribbons from before turning into talons.
Fwick..!
It pierced the creature straight through its ribs and into its dark core, then it envelops it as if it was trying to devour it whole, leaving nothing at its wake but the mere remnants of smoke that appears when an undead gets slain.
“Wow, Jiu-er! That's amazing-”
He turns to the annoying man with the annoying words with a scrunched face, bothered by the knowledge that the bastard somehow knows his name.
“How do you know my name?” He asked but of course didn't gain an answer. Shen Jiu would've tried to probe further but another wretch dared to try and swipe at him.
These assholes…
Without breaking eye contact with the ‘uncle’, he slams the undead to the ground without moving an inch. His talons instantly rip through them, devouring the entire thing until there was nothing left.
“Shen-gongzi, we accidentally heard it…at some point?” Shen Jiu isn't even going to point out the obvious lie, this snake fella can't absolutely lie to save his life. What a joke…
“I-impossible..!” Wu Yanzi stared at him as if he was seeing a ghost, the young man raises an eyebrow at that.
“You are not supposed to awaken its powers- y-you are not the real vessel! It can't be!”
He even tries to walk up to Shen Jiu but in this case, his ‘filial’ disciple had no qualms about slamming him skull first to te ground of the demonic fucking cave he was murdered in. Fuck him and his nonsense, he doesn't want to hear it.
“Be quiet.”
It was the first time his dreadful master truly looked at him, and man… Nothing will ever beat the look of fear in that ugly face.
“Die.”
No one helped him when he was tied down and stabbed open, and when someone did come— it was too late, he had already bled to death. It's good that no one is helping this revolting man either, that no one is stopping him.
He really wouldn't listen.
Not would he let them stop him.
“Wow..! What is this?” The nameless curd who's definitely not human— now that Shen Jiu actually had a fair look around. Body parts were everywhere, or atleast the remains of it that wasn't devoured by his tails.
Tangling from his fingers is a manual, the scraps of it just to say. It's in no good shape, and now that he's got a good look at it, he had a bad feeling.
“It’s that scripture…” He trailed off.
He doesn't really know what it was but during one of their adventures, his shifu had picked up something. The only thing that he could gather is… the book holding a forbidden technique of some sorts. Wu Yanzi didn't tell him more than that, nor did he let him read through the thing.
“How to awaken the nine-tailed cat demon of death-” The burly man read one of the pages out loud, his voice carrying an edge of danger once he actually spoke out the words. “This is quite… alarming.”
His smile waning, the man's demeanor shifted into a more serious one and something within Shen Jiu felt nervous all of a sudden.
“Cat demon?”
Useful books and scriptures were hard to come by, but Shen Jiu had never heard anyone utter or mention cat demons; it was always fox demons. They might exist, but this is the first time that Shen Jiu had ever heard of their existence.
In his peripheral vision, the snake guy pales.
‘Oh, is that bad?’
Well, that's not his problem, is it?
As long as he's not affected, he really doesn't care. Quite out-of-it and still delirious from literally just being resurrected, Shen Jiu who is normally clever and sharp didn't pick up the hints, neither were the panicked and dark looks.
Crossing his arms, he noticed that his bloody robes were… well, still bloody! But the holed and slashed injuries were absent— his skin unblemished, smooth, and no sign of being stabbed left.
“Oh, where's my stab wounds?” He dumbly asks out loud.
Now that he thinks about his, he kind of feels light-headed, and his head kind of itches. Particularly, the top of his head. Tch, does he have lice too? Aside from being stabbed? Fuck, he can't have that.
He runs his hand through his hair and pauses, feeling something strange. He scratches it and almost lets out a disgraceful sound, that felt kinda nice. What the fuck was that?
He scratches up with both hands and grips onto the appendages that weren't supposed to be there— animal ears. Fuck- what did Wu Yanzi do?! He felt a sense of dread, recalling the earlier implications and sweats.
“Um… That so called cat demon couldn't be me, right?”
As if he had been slapped, the demon-snake fella whipped his attention to him once he stated their common thoughts out loud.
“... Shen-gongzi is Shen-gongzi.”
The snake demon's words did nothing to lessen the increasing feeling of stress inside Shen Jiu, in fact, it even increased it. Shit… just be honest with me..!
“Well, Jiu-er.” In a blink, the probably older demon appeared and threw an arm over Shen Jiu's shoulder. His stupid smile back with all its glory. “We just have to make sure that you won't stray the wrong way, isn't that right?”
(ಠಿ_ಠ)?
Confused, Shen Jiu turns to the snake demon in the hopes he would elaborate what his annoying uncle is saying. As he turned to the other, the snake looks away with guilty golden eyes and before he could question anything…
Thwuck!
The feeling-close demon bastard poked the acupuncture point in his neck with precision, leaving him paralyzed with wide eyes.
“J-junshang..!”
Then, as if paralyzing him is too easy— the audacious bastard even leans down and picks up Shen Jiu up like a stupid damsel-in-distress, handing him to the snake with a wink.
“Carry your sweetheart, A-zhi.” Sputtering, the snake demon garbles nonsensical words while blushing from head to toe (not that Shen Jiu can see his toes). He readily took Shen Jiu though, the bastard. “We'll need to convince the elders.”
Creepily, the probably old-as-hell demon that's overly decked in red and black laughs like a third-rate villain.
ಠ∀ಠ
“I have multiple ways to convince them, so don't worry.” He smiles, definitely with I'll intent. Shen Jiu shudders at the sight. “And besides, Jiu-er is going to be a good- no a great… addition to this Lord's manpower.”
The snake demon didn't seem to happy to hear that, though he didn't dare to raise any complaint.
Shen Jiu felt dread creep up to him.
“And maybe… even household.” Then, there it is… The playful piece-of-shit is back, squiggling his eyebrows at the pair; one paralyzed and glaring, the other flushed red with an avoidant gaze.
He fucking cackles.
“Oh, and goodnight Jiu-er.”
Before Shen Jiu realized what was even going on, the older demon blows a powder at his face— instantly, he felt his eyelids droop, the dragging feeling of exhaustion suddenly feeling too hard to bare.
“Junshang..!”
The demon, no, Zhuzhi-lang murmurs with worry. And if anything else was said, he could no longer stick to listen— starting to doze off.
It looked suspicious.
The sound of hissing and the shuffling of leaves bothering Shen Jiu with curiosity, so the street rat cautiously kept his eyes on the bush— trying to measure the ups and downs of actually going near it.
He saw a glimpse of shining white scales earlier, it looked pretty. He could probably sell it on the market and get some actual food for himself. It's been days since his last meal, and he's been living of literal scraps.
Wu Yanzi’s bitching isn't helping either…
He had been having a normal wretched day, the usual for a street rat turned demonic cultivator like him. It is a mere highlight to see something quite not right. He didn't immediately approach it of course— he values his life after all.
It is the only thing he has…
Still, he couldn't help but be curious. What kind of animal is it? And was it valuable enough? Then again, it was probably still alive considering it was moving. Hmmm…
Step.
Step.
Step.
With bated breath, Shen Jiu drew closer with every step barely making any sound. Drawing his sword from its sheathe, he softly poked the lump of peeking white beneath the crunching leaves. A head tilts up from the grass, hissing.
Two beady eyes glare up at him, sharp and calculating.
“A snake?” He murmurs out loud, fascinated. In a closer look, he noticed that it was injured, trapped by a painful looking metal object that clumped down it's torn looking tail. Shen Jiu winces. “Oh, that probably hurts.”
The snake looks small, probably a young one— barely out the nest, or whatever snakes come from.
Shen Jiu tries to ignore the sting-like feeling of guilt, he needs some money right now and had planned to take this creatures carcass to sell it. He doesn't feel bad that he has to kill it, he feels bad that the thing wasn't dead yet and he probably has to hurt it himself.
He raises his sword mid-air. He might as well use his qi, just to make sure he can kill it with one slash; prolonging its pain isn't necessary.
The snake curls up, closing its eyes with a pitiful hiss as if it knew about the impending doom.
Seeing this, Shen Jiu hesitates. His grip wavering.
He sighs.
“Ugh, don't be like that..!” He complains outright, it's not like anyone will hear him any way. “You're making me feel bad too.”
“It's enough that I already killed humans, now I'm killing a baby snake as well…”
He kneels down the creatures level, inspecting its bloody appearance. He attempts to inch closer but the thing suddenly bares its sharp and definitely venomous fangs at him. He smacks the creature in the head with the handle of his sword, lightly to not actually hurt it.
“Watch it!” He even pokes it in the cheeks with a raised eyebrow. “Tch, how many times have you been hurt to look this way?”
Scars everywhere, the animal is absolutely covered with slashes— some old and some new. It's disfigured in ways Shen Jiu never thought possible, in that he meant for survival.
‘How could the snake live despite… all these?’
Now that he's actually close to it, it's more butchered than he thought. Practically skewered through the metal like claws of what looks like a miniature bear trap.
“Who the hell puts a shitty bear trap in a fucking bush?” Shen Jiu felt pissed, not just for the snake but also himself.
He could accidentally step on it as well!
“Was it that stupid bastard?” He wouldn't put it past Wu Yanzi to injure people for fun, that crazy maniac. “Fucking Wu Yanzi.”
The snake weakly looks up at him, quietly hissing to itself an agreement.
“Don't move, and don't bite me!” He pokes the creature again with the scabbard of his sword, much gentler than before. “I'll try to free you from this… thing.”
He carefully tries to unlatch the trap, wincing once he got cut— Shen Jiu payed it no mind, focused on trying to make this stupid lump of metal finally fucking let go. The snake fortunately ceased its resistance earlier, realizing that he is trying to help.
Click!
It finally unlatched, and Shen Jiu gently pries the metal open. “Should I lift you up? It's going to be hard to move for you…” It stabbed straight through the poor creature, trying would be torture in itself.
The snake hesitantly nods, Shen Jiu was surprised but didn't show it for too long. “So you can understand me…” He says as he carefully, very very very carefully lifted the should-be half-dead creature.
After some time, he had the creature on his arms, bundled with stolen fabric.
He laid down the creature gently inside a cave, one filled with dense demonic qi all because of Wu Yanzi's corruption. He scratches the nape of the creature gently— whispering quietly his troubled words.
This must be a demonic creature if it is sentient enough to actually understand, and Shen Jiu assumes that a dark place like this could probably help.
“You should try and recuperate, little demon.” It felt suffocating to just be inside, and he's not even doing anything much. “I'll be going now, I can't stay for too long.”
He needs to go, his lungs are going to explode of he stays much longer. He bids the hissing creature goodbye with one last glance, it was staring directly at him— somehow looking sad, Shen Jiu smiles at the sight.
“I’ve never met a snake as expressive as you, don't die…Little snake.”
Tianlang-Jun never expected his shy nephew to grow affection for someone else. To be honest, the demon was starting to think that his pitiful nephew would just die alone, without ever tasting the sweet paradise that love is.
But he was wrong!
He never knew how much he needed to see the ever stone-faced Zhuzhi lose his cool whenever it came to anything regarding his beloved.
He never anticipated that his nephew would fall for a human, a human man at that. His shy nephew has of course, not yet admitted his growing feelings but it was already apparent without words being said.
Zhuzhi-lang is in love.
He noticed it in the way the demon general who often stuck to him all the time suddenly snuck out, every single day with not even a second late. It was even more obvious from the purely love-tricken face he always returned with.
His stoic nephew smiled each time, and it was a genuine and giddy one.
Like a young maiden in love!
So naturally, like all uncles do… Tianlang-Jun spied and tailed his beloved nephew to see just who caught his heart. Oh, and what a discovery it was! The biggest surprise he'd ever gotten from his nephew, it’s unforgettable!
It was a human, and not just any human… It is a man! A beautiful mortal one, but still— then again Tianlang-Jun is no stranger to love, and he's not one to judge either— so he'll definitely support his nephew to the ends of the world.
He'd even help him woo his love.
‘Ah… I'm such a great uncle.’
He’ll have to do something about his mortal countenance, there are a lot of artifacts— no, perhaps… He could just help the young man cultivate (while hiding his identity of course) and come out when his nephew and his beloved are together.
He'll be known as the best wingman!!
And an even better uncle too.
.
.
.
“Ah, A-Zhi…Just why have you called this uncle of yours?”
Tianlang-Jun feigned ignorance, it's probably about the young man. Still, he doesn't know what the situation is— he has a bad feeling though, Zhuzhi-lang is not the type to ask for help for things he can just handle alone.
And most times, his nephew is just fine handling things alone.
‘What could've happened this time?’
He had been so busy trying to prepare the palace for his niece-in-law, ehem, son-in-law’s welcome; leaving him little time to monitor and keep up with the updates of his nephew and his beloved.
“Junshang… A friend of mine is in trouble.”
Tianlang-Jun held the urge to tease his nephew. Nephew? As if he'd ever believe that, even his lower generals and other servants had noticed his nephew's infatuation— only he himself had remained ignorant.
“Hmm? Then this uncle would have to help him, wouldn't he?” A little teasing won't hurt though. ^^
Zhuzhi-lang didn't show it outright but the reddening of his ears is a clear indication. Still, this might actually be a detrimental situation considering that his nephew didn't take up the time to deny, eager and hurried.
“There's no time, please follow me.”
.
.
.
When they arrived in front of an ominous looking cave, Tianlang-Jun didn't pay it any mind. They had a lot of these lying around in the demon realm, it's no mystery nor a miracle. Still, it's strange to see one this heavy in the human realm of all places.
It was reeking all over the area, to the point lower level demons that were near started to migrate. They didn't pose as a problem of course, they knew better than to poke a bigger predator.
Ruthlessly, his nephew slaughtered himself in. Tianlang-Jun merely followed, curiously looking around— deep inside, he felt some worry. He didn't want his nephew's beloved to be hurt, but the environment all around them are suggesting nothing but pain and death.
‘Please be okay.’
At some point, they already killed so many and it was going pretty smoothly. That is until his nephew paused, frozen in his tracks which required Tianlang-Jun to interfere. “A-Zhi?”
He followed his nephew's gaze and felt ice freezing through his veins. It was the young man, bloody and… seemingly no longer alive. Concerned, the demon emperor reached for his nephew but before he could— the demon general rampaged.
Killing everyone and everything in his way.
“Shen-gongzi, I'm sorry for being late.”
By the end of it all, Tianlang-Jun could only watch as his nephew fell apart. His poor nephew has yet to confess! This demon sovereign would be a disgrace if he lets their love which has yet to bud just wither like this…
He won't let that happen.
“Oh~ Is he your savior, my dear nephew?”
It's his unspoken duty to fix the things that his nephew's can't, and this is one of those cases. The demon emperor tried to not wince once he sees the look of loss and heartbreak in the snake demon's face.
‘Oh, poor A-Zhi. This uncle will fix things up, so cease that heartbreak.’
There was no reply of course, not that Tianlang-Jun can blame him. He wouldn't know what he would do if he were to be put in the same position. He might go mad, and that's to say the least.
“Nephew, what are you waiting for?” He had long noticed the demonic array, his to-be son-in-law probably served as a human sacrifice. Don't worry, bad deeds don't go unpunished. They'll have a taste of what death is. With a flick of his fingers, he adds another character to the array and its whole purpose changed.
Undead. He'll turn the young man to an undead.
“Activate the array, we can still tether your friend back to the living y’know?”
He'll just refine the young man's soul until he becomes whole again, as if he never had died; corruption is off the table as well. Normally, it would've been risky for anybody else to try and do so, not to mention—- they would've failed.
Tianlang-Jun is different though, he's a pureblood heavenly demon afterall— the last of his kind.
And he'll make that difference happen.
“I mean… he wouldn't be alive, much less human— but hey! He'll live and that's all that matters!” He jokingly says, but it only made Zhuzhi-lang even more glum.
Oh, that was a mistake.
“Would he even want it, Junshang?” Zhuzi-lang sadly said.
Tianlang-Jun internally shook his head, he had been dumb. That was heartless of him to say. He must be more affected than he thought…
“We should respect his decision, Junshang…”
With an unreadable expression, the demon emperor looks at Zhuzhi-lang. ‘What if your beloved doesn't mind? That child is ferocious, he probably won't even care whatever he becomes.’
That is one of the reasons that Tianlang-Jun didn't do anything against his nephew's affection, he knew that his nephew has chosen well. Shen Jiu, the young man, has a demon's temperament after all.
He'd do very well in the demon realm. In fact, he would probably dominate.
“Shen-gongzi wouldn't want this.”
Trying to mask the utter look of hmm-is-that-so? in his face, the demon emperor just hums— he can just gift a undead but mentally-perfectly-fine Shen Jiu to Zhuzhi-lang.
His nephew won't stay mad for too long.
Not to mention, Tianlang-Jun could use this as an opportunity to teach his nephew's beloved himself which is practically hitting two birds with one stone. And to push the two together, the demon emperor is even willing to act as the antagonist for some time.
Zhuzhi-lang will forgive him, that child doesn't have the ability to stay mad at his loved one's for too long.
“Very well, let's leave. We must seal this cave to prevent further-”
Before he can finish, a flurry of pure demonic qi rushed at a rapid direction to them, along with a faint voice calling out. He parried it without any thought. Glaring, he slams the insect that must have luckily lived through the bloodbath with his demonic sword which should've killed anyone upon impact.
“Another pest.”
He was about to attack more when he realized just who he struck.
What?
Writhing against the wall is the unmistakable visage of Shen Jiu, Tianlang-Jun felt a wave of panic realizing what he had done but to his surprise— the young man seemed just fine, even cursing him out.
The demon emperor felt amused and afraid.
Because in front of them appeared his nephew's beloved who should've been dead, with additional features that screamed nothing but bad omen. The writhing black talon-like tails to be specific.
‘Those cat ears…’
It can't be ignored, the chilling resemblance to that creature can't be a coincidence. One of the calamities that have befallen their world long ago, one that is just as if not more mighty than them pureblood heavenly demons— nine-tailed cat demon.
They symbolize death and chaos.
And they are the race that's traces has been long erased in the demon realm, even just the mention of them brings absolute fear— it was rumored that just thinking about them can cause calamities.
Who knew it could also result to one being born… No- awakened.
He would probably need to do something right? It's good that they are the first ones to have found him, if the other demonic tribes or families even caught wind of this— they'd be clamoring to bring Shen Jiu as theirs.
‘Bringer of calamity.’
A mature and full-grown version is a terrifying existence no demon would even dare approach, but a naive… fresh-faced and gullible one on the other hand? Oh, everyone and their mothers would be scrambling for his nephew's beloved, that's for sure.
A fledgling that can still be directed and conditioned to their liking, especially with no mother-demon or guardians on his side; he's simply a temptation no one can look away from.
That is if they'll ever know he exists in the first place.
And, they shall never know.
Not unless it's safe.