While the carriage moved, Li Susu had a dream.
She dreamed of her childhood. She was born 500 years later as the No. 1 immortal sect leader's daughter. It was initially a precious identity, but Li Susu was unlucky.
It was a long story. In her days, evil was in power. To put it simply, demons became the masters, and the cultivators and the mortals became a contemptible existence.
No one knows when that evil thing was born. However, ever since he entered this world, his cruel methods had defeated many immortal sects.
In the beginning, some sects did not believe in the forces of evil, so they tried to encircle and annihilate him. Later, these cultivators were brutally buried in "Thousand Immortals Tomb," and their souls were scattered. As a result, countless immortal seniors had fallen, and the remaining sects were scared so they could only hide and live miserable lives.
Since then, mentioning him only made one feel terrified.
The sky was grey, and a devilish aura obscured the spiritual aura, preventing people from cultivating. A plague had spread throughout the mortal world, and there were corpses everywhere. Such an environment was the one Li Susu grew up in.
The mortal body she was in now was worn out, Li Susu even dreamed about her childhood. She hadn't dreamed about this nightmare in a long time.
She had only recently transformed and was still a young girl at the time. On her forehead was a dot of fiery red cinnabar.
Her sect leader father said, "Susu, you mustn't leave the sect. Otherwise, if the demons catch you, they will throw you to the Devil king."
The green-robed Immortal Senior pointed to the first memorial tablet.
"Look. This is your Eldest Martial Uncle. He was killed by the Demon King."
Then, he pointed at the second memorial tablet.
"This was your Fifth Martial Uncle. The Devil King liked him too. Even his soul was scattered."
His hand moved towards the third memorial tablet. With a serious look, Susu, the little loli, nodded thoughtfully and continued, "I know. This is the Second Martial Uncle. He was also killed by the Devil King. When he died, he was crushed together with his natal magic weapon. When Susu grows up, she will avenge her martial uncles."
The sect leader looked at the precious girl, who looked like a doll, full of courage and righteousness, and nodded his head with satisfaction.
Susu, on the other hand, was still a child. She was duped by a deserted senior brother of the same sect, and she soon stepped outside the sect.
The demons had her in the blink of an eye. They surrounded her and praised her traitorous Senior Brother. "You did a fantastic job. The soul of this little girl is pure. Her soul stone is gleaming too. You will undoubtedly be handsomely rewarded by the Devil Lord!"
The traitor nodded and bowed. He was giddy with happiness.
They handed Susu to the devil king.
It was dark and creepy in the devil palace, which was covered in fresh blood. This was Susu's first experience in this kind of place. All around her were monsters ridiculing her. She, on the other hand, was unable to defeat or flee from them.
Finally, the girl became so upset that she reverted back into her original form. She cried while hiding behind her wings.
That was her first encounter with the devil king, the man responsible for the deaths of many of her martial uncles.
He stood at an impressive height. He was seated on the throne, surrounded by a thick blanket of black fog. Only his heartless eyes could be seen through the black cloak that engulfed him.
The Devil King had a pale complexion. He propped his chin up and gave her a dismissive look.
The devil palace's lights were flickering. The little girl had been deceived into entering the devil's lair. She sobbed and hiccuped from all of her regrets and sorrows.
"I came specifically to seek refuge with the Devil Lord. This is a present from me to the Devil Lord." The senior brother pointed at Susu and smiled flatteringly.
However, in the next moment, his eyes grew large, a gurgling sound came from his throat, and blood spilled out of the corner of his mouth.
Senior brother died so quickly. Susu widened her eyes and quietly moved her wings.
The Devil King reached out and picked up the little girl with his pale fingers. "I'm not afraid of you!" Susu exclaimed, her big eyes filled with stubborn tears that refused to fall.
She assumed it would be her turn in the next second. So she mustered up her courage and prepared to be murdered.
For a long time, the Devil King stared at her. Then, he raised his hands and threw her back to Hengyang Sect.
Nobody knows why Susu was spared by the Devil King. Susu herself had no idea what was going on.
A few thousand years later, the Elders used divination to choose a person and send them back 500 years to discover the Devil Lord's origins, prevent him from awakening, and save the common people. The hexagram turned back and forth. In the end, it pointed at Li Susu.
Susu: "..." Suddenly she had the feeling that the journey to face her fate was beginning.
As the dream continued, a row of memorial tablets surrounded Susu and cheered her on.
Susu paid her respect by cupping her fists and woke up.
She was no longer on that snowy ground. The bed was warm under her body, and the room had a faint warm fragrance. Her cheeks were slightly crimson due to the blazing charcoal fire.
A young girl, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, bowed cautiously in front of her. "You are awake, Miss."
She helped Susu up and fed her water. Susu coughed a few times as she choked because her throat was sore. The little girl's face instantly turned pale and she knelt on the ground. "Miss, spare my life, Chun Tao didn't mean to."
She was kowtowing and speaking at the same time. The sound of her head hitting the floor was audible and unmistakable. She was obviously terribly afraid of Susu.
The original owner, Ye Xiwu, was ill-tempered and almost brutal. You could tell just by looking at how scared she was when Susu only coughed once.
Susu shook her head, trying not to scare her, and said, "Get up. I don't blame you."
Chun Tao anxiously looked at Susu's face. In the past, if the Miss was unwell, she would not spare her easily. She carefully observed the Miss's expression. When she indeed saw that the Miss didn't plan to punish her, she breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly put the teacup back properly.
"Where is this?" Susu asked.
"You're not at the temple anymore. You have returned to the residence. But, Miss, you had a fever for two days," the little girl said.
"Chun Tao, where's Tantai Jin?" Susu asked.
She was used to calling him "devil king" or "evil thing" by the people in the cultivation realm. It seemed strange to call the devil lord by his adolescent name.
Chun Tao observed her expression and softly said, "After returning, the hostage prince knelt on the ice. Chun Tao aided you in keeping an eye on him. He didn't get up at all."
Susu looked at Chun Tao in surprise. What? Kneeling?
A few memories popped into her head. For a brief moment, Susu seemed to be in a trance. Then she finally realised what was going on.
Before the mountain bandits caught her, the original owner had ordered this. Susu was unconscious for two days, which means Tantai Jin knelt in the ice and snow for two days.
Susu pondered for a moment before asking Chun Tao, "Can you give me a mirror?"
Chun Tao hurriedly handed her a bronze mirror. She looked at the Third Miss quietly. It was the first time that the Third Miss had spoken to her in such a gentle tone!
Susu examined her current state. A clear and youthful face was reflected in the mirror. She was about sixteen or seventeen years old right now. Her face had small cherry lips and curved bright apricot eyes. Her face was not particularly beautiful, and it resembled that of a 'neighbouring house lady.'
Susu's attempt at a smile resulted in an instantaneous burst of joy and cheerfulness.
Actually, Susu's main objective was not to see what the original owner looked like. She faced the mirror and continued to look at it for quite some time.
It was so long that Chun Tao trembled and couldn't help but ask, "Miss, what are you looking at?" Is she blaming herself for not being as graceful as the Eldest Miss?
Susu thought to herself, "Senior Uncle had taught me to read a person's physiognomy before. 'The mouth is the treasurer. It is separated to form the upper and bottom lip, and the corner of the mouth is called the cape. The mouth needs to be square and large— generally, the width of the mouth is about the distance between two pupils. The lips must be red, and the ends must be thick like an elevated bow. When it opens, it is big, and when it closes, it is small. The upper and lower lip meet with the teeth, corresponding in all directions. The philtrum is straight and deep. If the corners of the mouth droop and the edges are thin, the person must be poor. If it is crooked, the person must be fond of stirring disputes and benefiting at others' expense.'"
Her physiognomy, however, did not match any of the descriptions. She wouldn't be able to live past the age of 20 if she had this face. It was the face of those who die young.
Susu was perplexed. This body's age was still young, but it was actually destined to die young, despite the fact that a mortal's lifespan is very short? Even when the one inhabiting this body became Susu, there was no sign of change.
Then, how did she die in the future?
Susu suddenly remembered the young devil king who was kneeling outside for no apparent reason.
Li Susu, the righteous girl, raised her head. F*ck!