Chapter Eighty-Nine: Hopefully This Really Is Just a Bug

Faced with a mortal who had no power to resist, none of them intended to make a move. The outcome was obvious—they were simply waiting for Xu Nuo to give up and surrender.

Suddenly, a strange wind swept through, carrying an unusual scent that filled their nostrils. A sharp-eyed cultivator’s expression changed abruptly. “Not good, hold your breath!”

But it was already too late. One after another, the cultivators around him collapsed to the ground.

“What did you do?” one of the few still conscious cultivators demanded furiously, struggling to remain awake.

“Nothing much, just a small dose of powder.” Xu Nuo shook the empty vial in her hand. She had no cultivation, true, but this was a farming-style game according to the system. She might have skipped the sowing and gone directly to harvesting herbs, but it would be a waste not to use the medicinal ingredients she’d gathered. She’d bought so many recipes in the past, it was only natural that with some luck and a bit of practice, she’d managed to succeed.

“Farewell, everyone.” Xu Nuo flashed them an international gesture of goodwill, then turned into a streak of light that shot across the sky like a falling star.

“Don’t let me catch you!”

A group of cultivators lying unconscious in the streets in broad daylight—passersby couldn’t help but gather to watch, but none dared to touch a cultivator, so they simply left them sprawled on the road.

By the time they awakened, night had fallen and the streets were deserted.

“Damn it!”

To be fooled by a mortal with no cultivation and lose face so thoroughly before mere mortals was utter humiliation.

“Just wait till I catch you!” The senior brother ground his teeth, recalling Xu Nuo’s maddening face as she left.

“Senior brother, at least we’ve found her tracks,” one cultivator said. “Before I passed out, I placed a tracking talisman on her.”

The senior brother’s tense face relaxed visibly. “Well done, quickly, see where she’s gone!”

The cultivator hurried to check, but his expression soon turned awkward. “Senior brother, she went, she went…”

The senior brother snapped impatiently, “Spit it out! Where?”

“She’s headed toward the Demon Realm.”

“What?!”

By the next morning, wanted posters for Xu Nuo were plastered all over the city. With the moon high overhead, she sat atop a rooftop, swirling a glass of red wine in her hand. “It seems I can’t stay in the mortal world any longer.”

The barrage of comments was as lively as ever: [What’s there to be afraid of, our Empress Xu? Just go for it!]

[When has our Empress Xu ever backed down?]

[Didn’t you prepare a ton of gadgets? Just fight them head-on with your gear—don’t be scared.]

007, seeing the barrage egging its host on, couldn’t help but advise her: [Host, don’t listen to them. You have no cultivation, and you’re all alone. You won’t get away unscathed. They just want to see you make a fool of yourself.]

Xu Nuo took a sip of cola from her wine glass. “Mm, I know what I’m doing.”

Of course she knew that not everyone chanting “Empress Xu” in the barrage was sincere—a fair number just wanted to see her stumble.

007 felt a bit relieved. At least the host was listening to reason.

Xu Nuo said, “I’m planning to go to the Demon Realm.”

007 nearly lost composure. [What for? Are you trying to get yourself killed?]

The demons were far more ruthless than cultivators, and now, with Xu Nuo wanted everywhere for colluding with demons, news had likely already reached the Demon Realm. There, she wouldn’t be facing cultivators who looked down on her and couldn’t be bothered to attack. Instead, she’d be up against savage, brutal demons who would bite first and ask questions later.

Xu Nuo sighed. “I have no choice. I can’t stay in the mortal world anymore.”

[You won’t survive in the Demon Realm either,] 007 retorted.

Xu Nuo replied, “You never know until you try.”

Well, this host was always courting danger and never took the ordinary path—no amount of persuasion would work. Still, 007 tried one last time: [Why do you insist on going to the Demon Realm? There’s nothing beautiful to see, the food’s terrible, and the demons are a bunch of savages…]

007 did its best to paint the Demon Realm as a terrifying place—a hell on earth for any ordinary person, hoping to scare the host off.

Xu Nuo mused, “So that’s the kind of place he used to live in.”

[He?] It took 007 a moment to realize who she meant. [I thought you’d forgotten about Lu Ciyuan by now.]

Then 007 thought of something. [Are you going to the Demon Realm for your capture target?]

“Mm, you could say that,” Xu Nuo replied. “I can’t just let him stay like this.”

He used to be a living, breathing man, and yet her affection meter never rose. Now he was like a wooden doll, so there was even less hope. Though this run was likely to be a bust thanks to 007’s bug, since she was already here, she might as well find something to do.

Xu Nuo released Lu Ciyuan, brushed aside the stray hair covering his eyes, and said, “I told you before I’d help you rule the world, and I always keep my word. Even if you’re a fool now, I’ll help you finish your rise from waste to legend.”

In the past, if the host treated a capture target so well, 007 would be deeply moved. But now, it couldn’t summon any emotion—whenever the host spoke like this, it always had a bad feeling.

Xu Nuo continued, “In a month, the main city of the Demon Realm will hold its grand selection tournament. I plan to participate.”

As expected, she was about to stir up trouble.

The Demon Realm respected strength above all else—might made right. In such a primitive society, only thirteen cities had relatively complete rules.

The city lord was replaced every hundred years, and the selection process was straightforward: a tournament. The strongest would become city lord, regardless of status or background. Anyone could compete.

007 felt a pang of anxiety and gently reminded her, [You’re a mortal.]

Xu Nuo replied, “Is there a rule against mortals entering?”

[...There really isn’t.]

The demons had no sense of collective honor, nor were they xenophobic. As long as one was strong, they welcomed anyone. They were simply too savage, which was why humans and beasts shunned them.

“Then it’s settled.”

Xu Nuo pinched Lu Ciyuan’s cheek, the sensation delicate and smooth. Demons naturally recovered quickly, and with the medicinal balm applied, all the scars on his face had long since vanished—he was now a proper handsome man, perfectly fitting the aesthetic of an otome game.

Xu Nuo said, “Lu, when will you wake up? I’m so bored.”

Lu Ciyuan remained expressionless, like a beautiful doll for her to arrange as she pleased.

She pinched him here and there, gazing into his eyes for a long time, but finally, feeling bored, she returned him to the He Luo Jade Tome.

“Little Seven, I hope this really is just a bug.”

007 wanted to ask: Why do you hope it’s just a bug? Isn’t it a bug to begin with? But its database seemed insufficient to analyze the complexity of Xu Nuo’s words, so it fell silent.

[Our Empress Xu is mighty!]

[The Demon Realm—just another treasure in our Empress’s pocket.]

[Daily question for the devs: when are you fixing this damn bug? The capture target’s been stuck for over a month—how are we supposed to play like this?]

Outside Xu Nuo’s view, within the He Luo Jade Tome, a flicker of light suddenly appeared in Lu Ciyuan’s eyes that had been lifeless for so long.