"Sinner Jiufang Kui… greets the Little Demon Empress."
The moment he stepped into the stone chamber, Jiufang Kui dropped to his knees. Though he tried with all his might to remain composed, his voice still trembled with fear.
"Patriarch Jiufang." The Little Demon Empress's gaze fixed on him, cold as frost. "Helian Kuang was the Patriarch of the Helian Family, yet this empress killed him. As a Patriarch of a Guardian Family, what is your opinion on this matter? Was this empress right to kill him, or not?"
Jiufang Kui sucked in a sharp breath and said in panic, "Helian Kuang was indeed a Guardian Patriarch, but he colluded with traitors, plotted rebellion, and abandoned both the grace of the Demon Emperor Clan and the duty of his family as guardians… That kind of traitor should have been torn into ten thousand pieces long ago. The Little Demon Empress was absolutely right to kill him… and it was good that he was killed."
"Very well." The Little Demon Empress nodded slowly. Jiufang Kui's answer seemed to please her. Then her voice suddenly turned ice-cold: "Then—are you prepared to kill yourself, or would you prefer this empress to do it personally?"
Her frigid tone and the killing intent behind it made every hair on Jiufang Kui's body stand on end. He collapsed to the floor, screaming and begging, "Little Demon Empress, mercy! Little Demon Empress, mercy! Before, I was bewitched by Helian Kuang and lost my mind was clouded for a moment—that is why I committed such a disloyal act. But I truly knew nothing of the shameless atrocities, the deeds that would enrage both men and gods, committed by those from Duke Huai Palace… The only reason I surrendered to Duke Huai Palace was for self-preservation… so that the Jiufang Family could have peace in the future… I… I swear here and now: from this day forward I will be utterly loyal to the Little Demon Empress. I will treat the Little Demon Empress's words as heavenly decree and absolutely… absolutely harbor no further thoughts of betrayal… or else may I, Jiufang Kui, be struck by lightning, split in two, and may my entire Jiufang Clan die without peace…"
With the barrier in place preventing anyone outside from seeing or hearing, and with his life hanging by a thread, how could Jiufang Kui still care about a Patriarch's dignity? He wailed, cursed himself with the vilest words, and groveled like any ordinary creature terrified of death—perhaps even more pathetic.
"It seems Patriarch Jiufang has the heart to rebel but lacks the courage to die!" The Little Demon Empress sneered in contempt. "If you fear death so much, this empress can grant you a chance to live! Tell me everything you know about Duke Huai Palace and every shameless thing your Jiufang Family has done in the past hundred years—especially the things this empress does not yet know. Confess everything completely! There must be no falsehoods or omissions!"
"If your confession fails to satisfy this empress…" The Little Demon Empress continued, "this empress will simply seal away your profound strength! And if later we discover anything false in what you said, or anything you omitted, you will end up in a state ten times worse than Helian Kuang!"
Jiufang Kui shuddered, but a sliver of hope appeared amid his terror grew. Helian Kuang's corpse had only just been dragged away—nothing could be worse than death. For the "chance to live" the Little Demon Empress offered, he dared not conceal a single thing. In that moment he racked his brain and spilled everything he knew about Duke Huai Palace and every disgraceful act his family had committed over the years, whether openly or in secret. To "atone for his crimes," he even divulged in excruciating detail the shameful deeds of the other Guardian Families and Duke Palaces—especially what the Helian Family had done in recent years, including the recent pact among them to cover for one another's crimes.
When he finished, his entire body nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Though each confession was more shocking than the last, the Little Demon Empress's breathing and gaze showed no ripple of emotion. She stared down at Jiufang Kui and said in a deep voice, "A Guardian Family that has carried honor for ten thousand years has now decayed to this extent… Jiufang Kui, even if you died ten thousand times, you could scarcely redeem your guilt!"
Jiufang Kui slumped to the floor and dared not speak again.
"This empress will give you two choices." The Little Demon Empress rose slowly and walked toward him. With every step she took, Jiufang Kui shrank further. "First choice: you, Jiufang Kui, die! Your corpse will be hung at the city gate for seven days as a public warning! Your name will be etched into the annals of the Illusory Demon Realm, becoming an eternal stain on the Jiufang Family, a byword for infamy throughout history! Your wives, concubines, children, and grandchildren will all be immediately executed!"
Jiufang Kui jerked his head up and begged in a trembling voice, "Little Demon Empress, mercy, please…"
"Second choice!" The Little Demon Empress had already reached him. She looked down with cold eyes, raised her hand above his head, and a sphere of scarlet-golden flame burned in the center of her palm. "Obediently accept this empress's 'slave imprint'! Then you may continue to serve as Patriarch of the Jiufang Family! Your wives, concubines, children, grandchildren, and the entire Jiufang Clan will remain safe and sound!"
Jiufang Kui's entire body shook violently. His eyes widened in rigid horror, pupils trembling with fear and despair.
A slave imprint was the cruelest soul brand in existence. Once implanted in a person's heart and soul, they would be forced to obey the implanter's every command without question or resistance—even if ordered to die, they would die without hesitation. There would not be the slightest trace of defiance or rebellious thought. They would become the implanter's eternal slave and puppet.
Once implanted, a slave imprint was nearly impossible to remove. Even if the implanter died, the branded person would still remember their duty and serve loyally for the rest of their life.
The slave imprint was so cruel—controlling both life and will—that to many it was more terrifying than death. By the laws of the Illusory Demon Realm, slave imprints were strictly forbidden. Even the greatest family could not brand the lowliest servant. At the same time, implanting one consumed an enormous amount of mental strength and had an extremely low success rate. With the Little Demon Empress's current strength, if Jiufang Kui struggled even slightly, success would be impossible. Even against an Overlord, success was nearly unattainable.
Normally, for a slave imprint to succeed, the recipient had to be completely willing and offer no resistance.
Yet the choices before Jiufang Kui were: accept the slave imprint, or die—and bring ruin and infamy upon himself and see his entire family slaughtered.
"There are only these two choices; there is absolutely no third option!" The Little Demon Empress said coldly. "This is the consequence of your own transgressions. You cannot blame this empress, nor anyone else! This empress gives you the span of five breaths to decide—die, or live. After five breaths, if you have not decided, this empress will send you straight to your grave!"
Jiufang Kui sat stunned, his eyes empty and lifeless… After three breaths, he lowered his head heavily and said in a trembling voice, "May… the Little Demon Empress… bestow the slave imprint upon me…"
If it were simply slave imprint versus an honorable death, he might have chosen death. But following his death would come consequences ten times crueler than mere death. The slave imprint was his only path. At least he could live; at least his name would not be reviled for ten thousand years; at least, when facing anyone other than the Little Demon Empress, his soul would still belong to himself.
"Very good." The Little Demon Empress lowered her hand. Channeling her soul energy infused with the Golden Crow's aura, she pressed it directly into Jiufang Kui's heart and soul… His entire body shook, but he dared not resist or defend himself. In the span of a few short breaths, the Little Demon Empress's slave imprint was firmly planted in his heart and soul.
The Golden Crow flame extinguished as she closed her palm. Color returned to Jiufang Kui's previously ashen eyes. Facing the Little Demon Empress, his body bowed even lower, his gaze filled with reverence, fear, adoration, and fawning—exactly like a loyal dog wagging its tail before its master.
"Get out!" The Little Demon Empress turned away and spoke in an icy voice. Jiufang Kui's pathetic, groveling appearance stirred no pity in her. The hatred she bore for her clan and family ran as deep as the sea… Were she not the Little Demon Empress, were she not forced to consider the peace and future of the Illusory Demon Realm, she would have slaughtered every last one of them in the cruelest manner possible. Why would she ever let them live?
"Yes, yes… I'll leave at once, at once." As though hearing an irrevocable divine command, Jiufang Kui's body shook. He threw himself to the floor, rolled—and literally rolled his way out.
Jiufang Kui too walked out alive. This undoubtedly gave even greater hope to those waiting behind him. The subsequent process was far simpler. Essentially the same as with Jiufang Kui, they were forced to choose between "death" and the "slave imprint," but that "death" would drag their entire family and clan into ruin and eternal disgrace. Thus the slave imprint became their only choice.
Yet not everyone was offered even those two choices. Helian Kuang died. Jiufang Kui, Bai Yi, Nangong Zhi, Lin Guiyan, Chiyang Bailie, and Xiao Xifeng were all branded with slave imprints. Among the many dukes, one-third who had switched sides only for self-preservation were pardoned as Duke Xuan had been.
The Patriarchs and dukes who received slave imprints would never betray her for the rest of their lives; their families and palaces were now completely under the Little Demon Empress's control. Those pardoned would also remain utterly loyal out of gratitude and shame.
By sunset, the Little Demon Empress had finished meting out punishment to all the Guardian Families and Duke Palaces. After the last duke hurriedly departed, the Demon Imperial Hall fell empty, filled only with oppressive silence and solitude.
Implanting slave imprints consumed profound energy and even more mental strength. Even the Little Demon Empress was exhausted after branding over fifty in a single afternoon. Yet with her extraordinarily stubborn personality, she naturally refused to show the slightest trace of fatigue…
Her back was delicate and petite, like a young girl who had not yet fully grown, yet she alone shouldered the heaviest burden in the entire Illusory Demon Realm…
Night had already fallen over the Illusory Demon Realm when the Little Demon Empress silently returned to her "husband's" residence.
She appeared without a sound inside the small hut where he lived.
Ren Zu sat cross-legged on the bed, his body straight and motionless as a mountain. His eyes remained closed, a dense aura swirling around him like multicolored flames. The power radiating from him was serene yet profound—vast and unfathomable, like a seemingly calm ocean.
The instant her presence brushed the room, his eyes opened. The black of his irises glinted softly in the lamplight, deep and hypnotic as twin black holes.
"Caiyi? Finished punishing the traitors?" he asked casually, as though discussing something trivial—though the matter was anything but. Since that morning when they had spoken of marriage, the two had spent several quiet days together, enjoying a rare serenity until today, when she had decided to personally resolve the matter of the traitors.
She nodded once. "Yes… everything is settled."
Ren Zu gazed at her for a long moment. Noticing her exhaustion, it seemed she had indeed branded most of the guilty with slave imprints, just as he remembered from the original story…
She walked toward the bed, but before she could speak again, he rose and approached slowly.
"You pushed yourself too hard again…" Ren Zu was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. Without another word, his arms slowly encircled her slender waist from behind. A warm chest pressed gently against her back… In that instant, the Little Demon Empress could not resist—she froze for the briefest moment. All she felt was a spreading warmth that slowly relaxed both her body and soul.
She had never been good at accepting others' touch. After bearing immense pressure every single day for so many years, she had grown accustomed to living in constant vigilance, ready to react to any crisis that might arise at any moment. Her instinct for self-defense had long become second nature, etched deep into her subconscious. Yet she suddenly realized that when she was with her "husband," she never reacted violently to sudden contact—not even during that week they had spent together on Zhou Mountain when she was still getting to know him.
The cold killing intent that once pierced hearts no longer rose within her. Instead, a warm, almost frantic feeling only a young girl could have replaced it. Slowly, her body softened until it lost all strength, and she leaned her full weight against his masculine frame, nestling her back against him. A barely audible sound escaped her lips. "Mn…"
"You don't have to carry everything alone…" he murmured beside her ear.
For several seconds she remained motionless. Then, with a small movement, she rested her head against his chest and allowed herself to close her eyes.
"In three days…" she said softly, almost to herself, "I will announce our marriage…"
Ren Zu nodded calmly. "Though I don't know much about ruling—as I've told you before—I'll learn quickly. I'll shoulder all your burdens with you… You only need to play the role of my wife."
"…Mn…" The Little Demon Empress kept her eyes closed, her face still nestled against Ren Zu's chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her cheek. The warmth radiating from him was like a gentle Golden Crow flame—without any of its destructive ferocity…
Ren Zu said nothing more. His arms held her firmly yet without pressure, as though he knew exactly how much she needed so as not to feel trapped. Slowly he loosened his embrace, allowing her just enough space to lift her face. Her once eternally cold eyes now shimmered with a vulnerability she herself barely recognized.
"Caiyi…" he murmured, the name a caress. His fingers gently traced the line of her jaw, tilting it upward with tender care. She did not resist—instead she leaned forward, lips slightly parted, breath trembling.
The kiss began slowly, almost hesitantly. His lips brushed hers with a tenderness that belied his powerful frame. She tasted the faint, indescribable flavor of him. But soon gentleness turned to hunger. His tongue grazed hers, inviting her response, and she answered with an intensity that surprised them both. Their tongues entwined in a feverish dance—exploring, claiming. A low moan escaped her, muffled against his mouth, as her hands rose to clutch the nape of his neck, pulling him closer.
The world around them vanished…
Ren Zu guided her backward with gentle determination until the backs of her legs met the edge of the bed. She sank into the soft sheets, her petite, delicate body melting into them as he leaned over her, never breaking the kiss. His hands slid along her sides, tracing the hidden curves beneath her imperial robe, sending shivers through her that arched her back.
"Husband…" she whispered between kisses, voice husky with mingled desire and exhaustion. Her fingers dug into his back, feeling the taut muscle beneath his simple robes.
He paused for a heartbeat, dark eyes searching hers for any trace of hesitation. There was none. With a faint smile he claimed her lips again, deeper this time, while one hand moved to undo the sash of her robe. The dark fabric slipped away, revealing flawless pale skin…
________________________
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