NOVPUBHigh-Ranking Demon
That evening, they indeed enjoyed a feast of fresh seafood.
Steamed crabs were served with vinegar dipping sauce and fine wine.
Spicy conch meat, presented on delicate porcelain plates, glistened in a pool of chili oil, making mouths water.
Delicate shrimp and pork dumplings with thin wrappers paired perfectly with a bowl of clam soup.
Large sea urchins were halved for the guests’ convenience, alongside dishes like sea urchin egg custard, sea urchin and shrimp fried rice, and even sea urchin-stuffed dumplings.
Bai Roushuang took a bite of one dumpling and smiled at her senior sister. "This is delicious—so rich and savory. Let’s make these for the New Year celebration at Bright Moon Peak!"
"Agreed," Xu Shulou nodded. "I’ll send the boys to gather sea urchins ahead of time."
"Perfect," Bai Roushuang chuckled. "That’ll tire them out so they can’t ruin the dumplings again."
Xu Shulou wholeheartedly agreed.
After dinner, with the sun still lingering on the horizon, the two strolled along the deck, basking in the golden light.
In just a few days, the airship had traveled from icy lands to a place of eternal spring, prompting many mortal passengers to switch to lighter clothing.
At the eastern end of the deck, giant slides had been set up. Cultivators who slid down would find themselves suspended in midair, dancing among the clouds.
Given that the landing spot was the open sky, the slides were clearly not meant for mortals. Attendants stood guard to prevent curious mortal children from sneaking up.
A group of children watched enviously, their eyes wide with longing. Among them, Xu Shoulou spotted the little girl she had rescued the day before. The girl noticed her too and brightened. "Pretty sister!"
Seeing the unspoken plea in her eyes, Xu Shulou sighed. "Go ahead. I’ll catch you."
The girl eagerly pressed a few pieces of candy wrapped in paper into Xu Shulou’s hands as thanks before scampering up the slide. She slid down with a joyful shriek, arms flailing, and landed safely in Xu Shulou’s steady grasp.
Xu Shulou jostled her lightly. "You’re awfully trusting that I won’t drop you."
The girl grinned, feigning innocence.
The other children quickly caught on, swarming Xu Shulou with offerings of snacks as payment for her services. Those without treats ran to their families to fetch some, then stared at her with hopeful eyes.
Before long, Xu Shulou found herself holding an armful of treats—peanut candies, mung bean cakes, and other mortal-world sweets—and could only laugh helplessly.
The children had no concept of taking turns, and sometimes multiple slid down at once. Fortunately, Xu Shulou was quick enough to catch them all, tossing each one safely back onto the deck.
Then, from the central slide, a figure taller than the children came tumbling down, shouting, "Senior Sister, catch me!"
Xu Shulou flew over, catching Bai Roushuang with an amused shake of her head. "What are you doing, joining in on this?"
Bai Roushuang produced a piece of orange-flavored candy and handed it over. "I’m paying you, aren’t I?"
Xu Shulou popped the candy into her mouth, then grabbed her junior sister by the scruff of her neck, putting her to work as a substitute catcher.
They played until the sun dipped below the horizon before retiring to their rooms.
The bed was as soft as a cloud, lulling Xu Shulou to sleep almost instantly. Her last conscious thought was a plan to buy one just like it for Bright Moon Peak before disembarking.
———
The next morning, Xu Shulou woke refreshed, changed clothes, and knocked on Bai Roushuang’s door—only to find her already gone. Stepping onto the deck, she spotted her junior sister engaged in a sparring match.
Her opponent was a male cultivator, also at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, wielding a rare weapon—a hook sword. Bai Roushuang, unfamiliar with this weapon, was struggling slightly.
Her sword lacked the reach to counter the hook sword effectively, and whenever she tried to close the distance, her opponent kept her at bay with relentless strikes.
Xu Shulou smiled. In the mortal world, longer weapons held the advantage, but the cultivation realm was different. She wondered if Bai Roushuang would realize it.
On the field, Bai Roushuang was forced back again, her sword failing to even graze her opponent’s robes while his weapon easily reached her.
Frustrated, she bit her lip and stared at her sword, hesitating—should she throw it?
She rarely fought this way, preferring the security of holding her weapon. But this was just practice, with her senior sister watching. If this were life or death, could she afford to hesitate?
With a determined exhale, she hurled her sword, channeling spiritual energy to control its movements midair.
Xu Shulou watched as Bai Roushuang’s control over the flying blade evolved from clumsy to fluid.
Even though Bai Roushuang ultimately lost, taking this step marked progress.
Xu Shulou arrived just in time—as if she’d come specifically to settle the bet. She handed a pouch of spirit stones to the victorious cultivator. Bai Roushuang waved off other challengers, declaring she needed a break.
"I think I understand why you like fighting so much," Bai Roushuang sheathed her sword, grinning. "You improve so much faster when you’re forced to confront your weaknesses."
Xu Shulou glared. "Who said I like fighting?"
"Fine, fine, you don’t," Bai Roushuang replied smoothly, well-practiced in humoring her senior sister. "By the way, that aqua-green dress looks lovely on you today."
"Little flatterer."
"Hey, where are you going?"
"To the dining hall. I just found out they deliver meals to your room," Xu Shulou waved without looking back. "Keep practicing. I’m going to experience the luxury of eating in bed."
A male cultivator who seemed interested in Bai Roushuang sidled up. "Miss Bai, your senior sister seems rather… lackadaisical compared to your diligence."
In the past, such backhanded praise might have pleased her, and she might have reciprocated the flirtation.
But now, Bai Roushuang only smiled. "Yet she could defeat ten of me with one hand. Annoying, isn’t it?"
"…"
———
After breakfast in bed and a lazy morning, Xu Shulou stepped out to find a commotion on the deck. She descended and learned that a demon had been discovered among the passengers in the shared quarters.
The mortals were panicking. To them, demons were monstrous creatures from folklore, lurking to devour humans. They bombarded the ship’s manager with demands for answers.
One middle-aged man, clutching his arm, shouted louder than the rest. "She attacked me! That demon hurt me!"
The manager placated the crowd before excusing himself to "deal with the demon." Xu Shulou, curious, followed him below deck.
Inside the shared quarters, a woman was pinned to the ground by several cultivators.
She appeared to be about sixteen years old, with a slender and petite frame, but her delicate, doll-like face was currently twisted in a mix of indignation and anger.
"We have some matters to attend to here. May I ask who you are, miss?" The manager noticed Xu Shulou and clearly intended to shoo away any bystanders.
"Xu Shulou of Dustless Island."
That name still carried some weight—at the very least, the crowd no longer barred her way. After all, she was a disciple of a renowned orthodox sect and had a reputation of her own. Having her serve as a witness in this matter wasn’t a bad idea.
"Did she hurt anyone?" Xu Shulou asked.
The cultivator holding the girl’s head down replied, "Not exactly, but a demon lurking in the common quarters—who knows what she was up to?"
"How was she discovered?"
The cultivator hesitated awkwardly. "A mortal man saw the girl traveling alone and tried to cozy up to her for some cheap thrills. The moment he touched her shoulder, she flung him away. When she moved, traces of demonic energy leaked out, and that’s how we noticed."
The manager sighed. "That man’s still making a fuss on the deck, demanding compensation. I left others to deal with him and came down here."
The cultivator scoffed. "Ignore him. He just landed on his backside. I checked earlier—he’s not even hurt."
The manager shook his head helplessly. "He even tried to wheedle some spirit medicine out of me, but how many healing pills from the cultivation world can a mortal’s body handle? If I gave him something and he overdosed, wouldn’t we be held responsible?"
Xu Shulou crouched in front of the girl. Her clothes were made of fine fabric, yet she was staying in the common quarters—she must have run away from somewhere.
The girl stubbornly insisted, "Let me go! I’m human!"
"What kind of human are you? You’re a high-ranking demon, aren’t you?" Xu Shulou chuckled and leaned closer. "Give me your hand."
Demons fell into two broad categories: low-ranking ones, who were nearly mindless, driven solely by bloodlust, and came in all sorts of grotesque forms—humanoid, bestial, or a mix of both; and high-ranking ones, who retained their intelligence and resembled ordinary humans.
Some claimed that most high-ranking demons were born as demons, while those who fell into demonhood later could only become low-ranking ones. However, this theory had never been proven.
The girl eyed her warily. "No."
Xu Shulou gestured for the others to release her. "Then attack me."
"What?"
"I said, attack me."
"You asked for it." The girl gritted her teeth and threw a punch.
Xu Shulou sidestepped, catching her wrist with two fingers and seizing her fist with her other hand. She pulled the girl close, trapping her between her arms for a closer inspection. "Your demonic energy is still clean—you haven’t killed anyone."
The prickly girl stopped struggling, sniffling slightly in grievance. "I just wanted to see what it was like here. I didn’t mean any harm."
"Miss Xu, what should we… do with her?" the manager asked hesitantly.
"Let her go," Xu Shulou replied with a smile, releasing the girl. "For demons, someone her age is still just a child."
The girl gaped at her in astonishment, and even the manager froze for a moment.
Meeting the manager’s stunned gaze, Xu Shulou felt the need to explain. "We don’t have to exterminate every demon we meet. One like her—lucid and with no blood on her hands—can be spared without issue. If you’re worried about accountability, just say it was my decision."
"No, it’s not that I don’t want to let her go," the manager scratched his head sheepishly. "It’s just… I thought you were going to kill her."
"…" Xu Shulou sighed mournfully. "Do I really seem that ruthless?"
