Do you know what happens to women who get close to me?

Su Ying's vision went black. Before she collapsed, she couldn't help wondering.

What had she done wrong this time?

Why were Feng Moyuan's people treating her like this?

Black Shadow hoisted Su Ying over his shoulder and headed outside, puzzling over it himself.

This woman was terrified of dying and never stopped talking. Why did the Demon Venerable want to bring her along?

When Feng Moyuan saw Black Shadow approaching with Su Ying over his shoulder, he frowned in displeasure. "What are you doing?"

"Your Highness, this woman was afraid of dying and refused to leave the side hall, so I knocked her out to make her easier to bring along." Black Shadow grinned as he explained.

"How dare you!" Feng Moyuan reached out and snatched Su Ying into his arms.

His brow furrowed even more deeply at the sight of the unconscious woman.

Black Shadow shuddered and immediately dropped to his knees.

"Demon Venerable!" The moment Feng Moyuan took Su Ying from him without hesitation, he regretted it.

Black Shadow had never been able to tell before. He had assumed Su Ying was someone Feng Moyuan could take or leave. Now, it seemed he had been wrong. Feng Moyuan's feelings for Su Ying really were unusual.

Feng Moyuan looked at the unconscious Su Ying, his brow tightly furrowed.

Suddenly, he heard the system inside her chattering away.

[Host, wake up! The Demon Venerable is going to kill you!]

[Host, if you don't wake up now, the Demon Venerable is going to drain all your blood!]

[Waaah, the Demon Venerable is so scary! Host, don't pass out all by yourself and leave me to face this gloomy man alone.]

[Host, how about I pass out too? This system can't take it anymore!]

[Beep, beep. Crashing...]

Feng Moyuan was speechless. Was he really that frightening?

He was the most handsome man in the world. Although his reputation outside was less than flattering, countless women still fell over one another trying to climb into his bed and become the exalted Demon Empress.

Yet Su Ying and her system were not merely uninterested in the position of Demon Empress.

They even thought he was frightening...

And wanted to escape.

Feng Moyuan turned his icy gaze on Black Shadow.

Black Shadow shuddered, on the verge of tears. "Demon Venerable, I didn't know Miss Su Ying was so important to you, so I was a little rough with her. It will never happen again!"

If Feng Moyuan hadn't ruthlessly thrown her into the dungeon, he would never have gotten that impression! Nor would he have treated Su Ying so roughly!

"Receive your punishment when we return." Feng Moyuan carried Su Ying away over his shoulder.

Black Shadow breathed a sigh of relief. Receiving his punishment after they returned meant he still had a chance.

As long as he performed well on Flame Mountain, he could try to offset his offense with meritorious deeds!

Bai Mang shook his head helplessly and muttered beside him, "Are you an idiot?"

"How was I supposed to know the Demon Venerable valued Miss Su Ying so much?" Black Shadow scratched the back of his head, filled with regret!

"The fact that the Demon Venerable let Su Ying out of the dungeon should have told you she meant something different to him." Bai Mang looked at Black Shadow as though he were a fool.

Black Shadow was left speechless.

Bai Mang asked again, "Who have you ever seen come out of the dungeon alive?"

"Miss Su Ying," Black Shadow answered reflexively.

"There you have it." Bai Mang said mildly, "Use your head from now on and think carefully about what the Demon Venerable wants. Wasn't bringing back Ling Xian based on your wild guesses enough? Now you've offended Su Ying too. If she becomes the Demon Empress someday, she'll definitely hold a grudge against you."

"Surely not..." Black Shadow wailed.

Feng Moyuan stopped and glanced back at them.

Black Shadow immediately clapped a hand over his mouth.

After leaving the Demon Realm's imperial palace, they took to their swords and headed straight for Flame Mountain.

The Demon Realm was vast. Even with the speed of Sword Flight, it would take them several hours to arrive.

Since they were traveling by Sword Flight, Feng Moyuan couldn't conveniently carry Su Ying over his shoulder, so he could only hold her protectively in his arms.

When Su Ying woke, her head felt dizzy and heavy, and wind howled in her ears. She opened her eyes to find a red-clad chest filling her vision.

"Mommy!" She stumbled and nearly fell off.

Feng Moyuan immediately caught her.

"Don't move!" His violet eyes were stern.

Only then did Su Ying notice that she was standing on a flying sword, and the person controlling it...

That voice just now had sounded like Feng Moyuan.

Su Ying shuddered and almost lost her footing again, tipping backward.

Feng Moyuan caught her around the waist.

Su Ying fell into his arms and, driven by the instinct to survive, wrapped her arms around his waist.

Thump, thump. The sound of a heartbeat reached her ears.

Su Ying's mouth went dry, and a blush spread across her face.

"D-Demon Venerable." Her voice trembled.

Su Ying remembered that in the original plot, Feng Moyuan disliked being touched by anyone except the female lead.

If a hand touched him, that hand would be chopped off.

If a body touched him, its owner would be cut in half at the waist.

She was about to cry...

Su Ying reckoned that she was touching Feng Moyuan from head to toe right now. Did that mean she had to die?

Then she noticed that they had left the Demon Realm's imperial palace.

Su Ying's eyes lit up. Did that mean she could sneak away?

A plan formed in her mind.

[System.] Su Ying called inwardly.

The system didn't respond.

Left with no choice, Su Ying called again: [System!]

There was still no response.

[You crash on me at a critical moment like this? Wake uuuuup!] Ten thousand grass-mud horses thundered through Su Ying's mind.

A system this unreliable truly opened her eyes!

Listening to her frantic thoughts, Feng Moyuan suddenly curved his lips into a smile.

Su Ying didn't see it. She stared down at the ground, struggling to recall the plot.

Why had the Demon Venerable left the Demon Realm's imperial palace at this point?

And instead of bringing the female lead, he had brought her, a supporting female character who had strayed from the original plot.

[How strange. The Demon Venerable shouldn't be leaving the Demon Realm's imperial palace...]

[Has the plot gone off course again?]

Su Ying didn't have the courage to ask the Demon Venerable why he was leaving the palace. She could only lower her eyes silently to their feet.

The tips of her feet were pressed against Feng Moyuan's...

This position was far too intimate.

Su Ying squirmed. "Um, Lord Demon Venerable, I know Sword Flight too. Why don't you let go of me, and I'll follow behind you on my sword?"

"You want to escape?" The curve vanished from Feng Moyuan's lips.

He had no interest in women and even felt disgust when they approached him.

But Su Ying didn't disgust him.

How strange.

Feng Moyuan found this feeling inconceivable.

"No, no, no! How could I? I'm just not used to being carried along." Su Ying wondered inwardly, [How is this great demon king so sharp? I don't know where he's going, but I have to find a chance to escape. Otherwise, if the plot veers so far off course that even the original author wouldn't recognize it, how am I supposed to get home?]

Feng Moyuan abruptly tightened his arms around her.

The side of Su Ying's face pressed against Feng Moyuan's chest.

[I'm done for, done for! Even if I don't die, I won't be able to keep my ear!]

Hearing this, Feng Moyuan decided to tease her. "Su Ying."

"Huh?" Su Ying blinked, doing her best to look delicate and pitiful in the hope of winning a shred of mercy from this Lord Demon Venerable.

"Do you know what happens to women who get close to me?" Feng Moyuan asked, his expression icy.