AUOF - 40

The sun had risen high in the sky.

Sang Li finally woke up.

Looking around at the familiar furnishings, she realized that everything she had experienced the previous day wasn’t a dream—Ji Hengyu had indeed brought her back to Shuo Guang Hall.

Her memory was a bit hazy. She vaguely recalled speaking with Ji Hengyu, but the details of their conversation had completely slipped her mind.

After a full night’s rest, her body felt refreshed and comfortable.

Sang Li didn’t dwell on it further. Stretching lazily, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that her undergarments had been replaced with a lighter, softer fabric—one far beyond what someone of her current status could afford.

This made her wonder if she had somehow missed some crucial detail.

“Awake?”

She looked up.

It was Yue Zhuqing, carrying a lacquered tray with a bowl of medicinal porridge and some kind of pastry.

“Senior Sister?” Sang Li’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Yue Zhuqing set the tray down and sat beside her. “Lord Ji ordered me to check on you. I changed your clothes, so don’t worry.”

No wonder.

She let out a sigh of relief.

“You’ve slept for three days. Eat something,” Yue Zhuqing urged.

Three days?!

Sang Li was stunned. She had actually slept for that long!

Seeing her dumbfounded expression, Yue Zhuqing couldn’t help but chuckle, handing her the porridge. “Try it—it’s my own cooking.”

Being able to taste something prepared by Yue Zhuqing herself left Sang Li feeling deeply honored.

Not wanting to waste a single bite, she ate every last bit. The porridge contained medicinal herbs, giving it a slightly bitter taste, but the sweetness of licorice balanced it out, creating a unique flavor.

Yue Zhuqing watched her intently as she ate.

Feeling self-conscious under her gaze, Sang Li hesitantly asked, “Did I cause trouble for Senior Sister?”

Yue Zhuqing shook her head. “Han Mang already explained everything. Your story has spread throughout Gui Xu, and even the other eleven palaces have heard of you.”

Sang Li: “….”

She felt a bit awkward about the attention.

“What about the competition?”

Yue Zhuqing began tidying up the dishes. “This was deemed an unforeseen circumstance. Lord Ji discussed it with the other immortals and decided to make you an apprentice Demon Subduer. Han Mang won’t have to leave either.”

In other words, both she and Han Mang could stay in the Demon Subduers’ Palace!

Sang Li cheered, happily hugging Yue Zhuqing.

Her childlike behavior was infectious, and Yue Zhuqing lightly returned the embrace. “Your wounds haven’t fully healed yet, and you’re already acting so carefree?”

Sang Li sheepishly rubbed her nose. “Compared to my abilities, I’m no match for Han Mang. If not for the unexpected turn of events that day, even though I might have won, it wouldn’t have been honorable. This outcome is the best possible result for both me and Han Mang.”

If she could win, that would be ideal; if Han Mang stayed, that would be even better.

Yue Zhuqing chuckled softly.

She had always thought Sang Li was merely clever and more daring and resourceful than the other maids in Huan Sha Garden. Unlike them, she didn’t act overly cautious around them. Now, seeing her broad-mindedness, Yue Zhuqing couldn’t help but remark, “No wonder Lord Ji treats you so specially.”

Sang Li blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

Realizing she had let something slip, Yue Zhuqing quickly changed the subject. “Never mind.”

As they spoke, Ji Hengyu appeared from behind the screen.

Without looking at Sang Li, he gestured to Yue Zhuqing with a flick of his hand.

Yue Zhuqing nodded, turning to instruct Sang Li, “There are clothes beside you. Change into them and wait for me. I’ll take you to the Demon Subduers’ Palace later.”

Sang Li obediently nodded.

Yue Zhuqing picked up the tray and followed Ji Hengyu to Yuan Prison.

Whether in the upper heavens or the entire Nine Spirit Realm, Gui Xu’s Yuan Prison was one of the most terrifying places.

The prison levels descended deeper and deeper, each filled with refining water.

The refining water was peculiar—it allowed prisoners to breathe underwater while maintaining their vital signs. However, its side effects subjected those being punished to excruciating pain, akin to being roasted alive by heavenly flames every moment.

Additionally, they had to endure various tortures unique to each level of the prison.

Ji Hengyu and his three disciples arrived at the three hundredth level of Yuan Prison via a clam carriage.

This was the Fire Tongue Hell. Eternal fire drawn from the divine realm boiled the refining water, causing mortals and spirits immersed in it to suffer immensely.

Amidst the wails of agony, the restraints of a cell at the very edge shattered. Two arms were torn clean off their chains, evidence that someone had escaped by severing their own limbs.

Ji Hengyu stared at the scene for a long time.

Qi explained, “The escapee is Fu Tian Hou, once a great guardian under the Annoyance Pavilion. He was subdued three hundred years ago. Perhaps the fluctuations in the seals caused by the Heavenly Punishment Day gave him an opportunity to escape.”

Ji Hengyu pondered, “Even if the soul-locking seal fluctuated, he wouldn’t have been able to escape Gui Xu’s mountain-protecting jade array alone. Have any suspicious individuals been caught?”

Qi replied, “One person has been captured, but he refuses to divulge his origins. Moreover…”

“What else?”

“He’s also some kind of demonic immortal. The Torture Department Immortals are helpless against him, and even the Revealing Mirror can’t expose his true form.”

Ji Hengyu asked, “Where is he now?”

Qi answered, “He’s currently undergoing interrogation on the Punishment Platform.”

Ji Hengyu turned and walked away, instructing Yue Zhuqing along the way, “Bring Sang Li here.”

Yue Zhuqing paused for a moment, unsure why, but still turned to fetch her.

The remaining group proceeded to the Punishment Platform.

Upon seeing Ji Hengyu arrive, the Torture Department Immortal bowed respectfully. “Immortal Lord.”

The Punishment Platform consisted of eighty-eight torture chambers.

Each torture chamber had one hundred eighty different methods of punishment, each unbearable even for gods or demons.

Inside the chamber, a gaunt demon was half-submerged in the refining water, his arms suspended high above by chains made of bone. Despite days of torture, not a single mark marred his body, and his spirit remained unnervingly lively.

“You bastards couldn’t accomplish anything even if you tried! Where’s Ji Hengyu? That mudworm? Tell him to come here!”

“All of you are useless parasites feasting on the upper heavens! You can’t kill me!”

“So what if you’ve caught me? Pfft! I can’t die, and neither will you have it easy!”

His voice grew louder and more venomous with every insult.

When Ji Hengyu appeared, the demon scrutinized him carefully before sneering, “So you’re that pitiful Kui Dragon who relied on a single drop of Wan Fa’s blood to ascend? Oh wait, you’re no dragon—you’re just a worm that grew up in the mud, hahaha!”

“Silence! How dare you insult Lord Ji!”

The Torture Department Immortal lashed out with a whip.

The demon’s flesh tore open, but it healed almost instantly.

Ji Hengyu stared at the smooth, unblemished chest, lost in thought.

“My lord, Sang Li has been brought.”

Yue Zhuqing stepped aside, revealing half of Sang Li’s figure.

Their appearance in this damp, water-filled prison was like a ray of light piercing through the gloom—one as elegant and pure as a lotus; the other as radiant and enchanting as a begonia.

Demons didn’t follow the so-called rules of propriety. The captive immediately spewed vulgarities: “Lord Ji sure is blessed, with two beauties by his side. But who knows if your frail body can handle them? Why don’t…”

Snap.

Ji Hengyu flicked his fingers, casting a silencing spell on the demon.

“All of you leave,” he said, turning to Sang Li. “You stay.”

Sang Li was already trembling from the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon. When Ji Hengyu told her to stay, her legs nearly gave out beneath her.

Her status wasn’t exactly honorable to begin with.

What had happened in the Dragon Mountain Illusion Forest Map left room for suspicion—it wouldn’t be surprising if Ji Hengyu doubted her loyalty.

The disciples and the Torture Department Immortal all withdrew.

Ji Hengyu pulled Sang Li closer, gripping her lightly but firmly by the nape of her neck.

“My lord…” Sang Li’s legs wobbled, and she nearly collapsed.

Ji Hengyu raised an eyebrow. “Afraid?”

“It’s not me—it’s not me!” Even though she didn’t know what was going on, it was safer to apologize first. “You saw it yourself that day—if I were truly colluding with anyone, I wouldn’t have saved Han Mang. My lord, you must believe me.”

Ji Hengyu remained silent, his gaze reflecting her pitiful yet earnest expression.

He studied her for a moment, waiting for her reaction to pass, then slowly released her. “Do you recognize this person?”

Sang Li followed his gaze.

The demon, long submerged in the refining water, was disheveled and barely clothed. His gaze toward her was filled with undisguised malice.

Sang Li felt a faint sense of familiarity.

The little fox spirit had been a secret weapon under the Annoyance Pavilion. While lower-level demons didn’t know her true face, she had memorized everyone in the demon palace from top to bottom.

She vaguely remembered this one—his name was…

“Shuang Mei.”

The moment his name was spoken, the demon’s mocking grin slowly faded, replaced by astonishment.

Sang Li stated confidently, “He possesses dual bodies. Ordinary punishments won’t harm him.”

Shuang Mei was a unique case.

He was immune to poison and fire. If one body sustained severe injuries, the damage would be shared between the two. With two hearts, even if one stopped functioning, the other could revive him. Moreover, the dead heart would quickly regenerate thanks to the other’s spiritual energy, making him practically immortal in a sense.

Since the two bodies belonged to the same individual, the Revealing Mirror naturally couldn’t expose his true form.

Shuang Mei had been a trusted subordinate of Fu Tian Hou. After Fu Tian Hou’s capture, Shuang Mei broke away from the Annoyance Pavilion and devoted himself to rescuing his master. The pavilion had once sent the little fox spirit to assassinate him, but Shuang Mei’s extreme caution made him impossible to track.

Never did they expect to encounter him here, in this watery hell.

“Dual bodies,” Ji Hengyu mused, a faint smile playing on his lips. “How intriguing.”

His smile unsettled Sang Li, and she fidgeted nervously. “My lord, are you planning to…?”

Ji Hengyu’s brow relaxed. “They worked together to rescue Fu Tian Hou and destroyed my Dragon Mountain Illusion Forest Map . They cannot be let off easily.”

Sang Li: “….” A sinking feeling settled in her stomach.

With his true identity exposed, Shuang Mei finally lost his composure. Unable to speak due to the silencing spell, he thrashed violently, causing the bone chains to rattle menacingly.

Ignoring his resistance, Ji Hengyu lowered his gaze. His slender, jade-like fingers brushed over the instruments of torture on the table as he asked calmly, “Have you ever witnessed an execution?”

Unsure of what he intended to do, Sang Li swallowed hard and shook her head honestly. “No, I haven’t.”

“Would you like to watch?”

“N-no, I don’t want to.”

“Mm.” He nodded. “Then sit over there and watch.”

Sang Li: “?”

Sang Li: “??”

Is this man hard of hearing or just insane?

She clearly said she didn’t want to watch!!!