“Favored consort?” Gu Baiying was stunned for a moment.

The woman on the high seat smiled: “Look at Young Immortal Gu’s nervous expression. It seems your concern for our Little Highness of Heishi City isn’t an ordinary master uncle’s concern for a martial niece. What? Do you like her?”

The gazes of Meng Ying and the others immediately turned toward Gu Baiying.

Gu Baiying frowned: “What exactly are you trying to say?”

“I’m not a heartless person either. Regarding matters between men and women, the demon race has always been open-minded, unlike the human race, which is always breaking up couples. If you like her, you can also stay in Heishi City and become the eighth favored consort of the Chaos Hall. Then naturally you’d be able to see her every day.” Bujiang spoke unhurriedly, “What do you think?”

“Your Highness, the Demon Queen,” Meng Ying asked in confusion, “what does ‘eighth favored consort’ mean?”

“The literal meaning.”

“Ah, I remember now!” Mendong clapped his hands: “Earlier at Yugo Mountain, people from the demon race mentioned that their Little Highness had seven favored consorts in the Chaos Hall. Could it be true?”

At that time, the Demon Elimination Army and the demon race were forced to work together going up the mountain, each side looking down on the other and saying anything that came to mind. They had thought the demon race people were just talking casually, but now, hearing the Demon Queen’s meaning, it was true?

Zanxing kept seven favored consorts in the Chaos Hall?

Who would have thought!

“I never expected junior sister to be that kind of person…” Tian Fangfang was greatly shocked.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Gu Baiying’s brow twitched severely as he rebuked: “How could she possibly keep favored consorts?”

“Why not?” Bujiang raised her chin, seeming to greatly enjoy seeing their incredulous expressions, speaking with complete composure: “Even human emperors have three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two consorts. A grand demon realm princess with only seven favored consorts is already very devoted. Where else could you find such a good woman? Only in our Heishi City.”

She spoke as if it were perfectly natural, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

“Xiao Shuang,” Bujiang smiled faintly, “you tell them.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Xiao Shuang replied gently, stepping forward and facing the Taiyan Sect members with a sincere tone: “This subordinate is also in the Chaos Hall. Little Highness has a gentle and benevolent nature, treating us extremely well. Young Immortal Gu is young and handsome with an elegant bearing. If he entered the Chaos Hall, he would certainly receive Little Highness’s favor and have unparalleled standing.”

These words made Gu Baiying sound like a palace beauty competing for favor in an earthly emperor’s harem.

Everyone’s gaze toward Gu Baiying immediately became somewhat subtle.

Gu Baiying’s expression stiffened, his jaw clenched extremely tight, like a virtuous woman whose chastity had been defiled and dignity insulted, saying nothing.

Bujiang looked at him for a long while, then laughed with a “puff” sound: “It seems Young Immortal Gu still can’t let go of his pride as a sect disciple.”

“Ahem,” seeing the atmosphere becoming stiff, Tian Fangfang timely stepped in to smooth things over: “This, marriage is a serious matter, not child’s play. Whether or not to enter the Chaos Hall as a favored consort, we should let my master uncle consider it. Besides,” he scratched his head, “my junior brothers, sisters and I all want to see junior sister, but we can’t all become favored consorts, right? Even if we wanted to, we probably wouldn’t qualify, right?”

The hall fell silent.

After a long while, Bujiang’s voice rang out: “What you say makes sense. No matter what, you all took good care of Zanxing in the Wulun Pagoda on Yugo Mountain, so you count as Zanxing’s friends. Heishi City isn’t an unreasonable place. It’s already late today, so you should rest here first. Tomorrow, when Zanxing comes out of the Demon Yuanli Pool, whether or not she wants to see you depends on her wishes. Xiao Shuang,” she instructed the person beside her, “take the immortal masters down.”

“Yes.”

Gu Baiying still wanted to ask more questions, but was pushed and shoved outside by Tian Fangfang. Ming Jing was about to follow when Bujiang raised her eyebrow: “Master need not leave.”

Ming Jing paused in his steps.

“I still have words I want to say to Master.” She smiled cheerfully.

…

On the other side, Xiao Shuang led the group into a demon cave, had someone bring some tea and refreshments, then left.

This demon cave was like countless other demon caves in Heishi City—both gaudy and eerily sinister, filled with crystal pillars and golden tables with silver beds, interspersed with human bone decorations and ghastly pale paper lanterns. Ghost fires flickered with an eerie green light that made one feel dizzy at first glance. Even the pastries brought up were shaped like severed women’s fingers.

However, at this moment, no one was in the mood to examine these strange decorations.

“I truly never expected that after junior sister Zanxing returned to the demon realm, she would keep seven favored consorts.” He suddenly thought of something and hugged himself: “Good thing I maintained proper etiquette back then.”

Gu Baiying said irritably: “Shut up.”

“No wonder,” Mu Cengxiao on the side seemed to remember something, murmuring in a low voice: “No wonder she asked me that back then…”

Everyone paused, and Gu Baiying’s suspicious gaze turned toward him: “What did she ask you?”

Mu Cengxiao’s face turned slightly red as he spoke softly: “Back then in the treasure ground, junior sister and I fell into the Saint Tree’s sacred domain together. At that time, junior sister asked me if I had ever thought about finding eight wives… I found it strange then, I thought…”

He had thought Zanxing still hadn’t given up on him and was testing his feelings.

After Mu Cengxiao finished speaking, he looked up to find everyone staring at him with particularly strange expressions. He quickly stood up, looking nervously at Meng Ying: “But I said right then—no, I never thought that way! How could I possibly find eight wives!”

“Tsk tsk tsk,” Mendong shook his head: “It seems she had her eye on your body then, asking if you wanted to be her eighth husband. Too bad you didn’t catch on—dense. But truly, you never know someone’s heart by their face. Yang Zanxing usually acts like she doesn’t understand matters of love, but who knew she was such a flirtatious, promiscuous heartbreaker!” Though he said this, there wasn’t a trace of condemnation on the child’s face, but rather the excitement of someone who enjoyed watching drama unfold.

Meng Ying looked at Gu Baiying with some worry.

This seventh martial uncle, who usually didn’t care even when major troubles fell on him, was now silent, his cold expression clearly showing his current displeasure.

Perhaps it was because Mendong spoke too excitedly, but Gu Baiying suddenly remembered an old incident from long ago. Back then, on Gufeng Mountain, Zanxing had asked him to teach her illusion techniques, but then forgot their appointment. The Yang family servant Lao Niu saw him and told him Zanxing “wanted to discuss something with Young Master Mu.” He called him “Young Master Gu” but also called Mu Cengxiao “Young Master Mu”…

Over there, Mendong was still speaking with great animation: “But I heard that the demon race is naturally promiscuous, changing partners is common. After all, how can old lovers compare to new ones in beauty and charm?”

“Bang!” The teacup on the table was heavily slammed down.

The youth’s expression was furious: “Have you said enough?”

No one in the cave spoke for a long while.

After a long time, the child’s cautious voice rang out: “So, master uncle, are you going to be the eighth favored consort or not?”