The Demon Realm, Empty and Desolate

Xi Yao hesitated for a long time.

The courtyard was silent, the wind carrying plum blossoms to her feet like a wordless plea for her to stay.

She bit her lip, a war raging inside her.

Leave, or stay?

"He's letting you go — why are you still hesitating?"

"But… he really does seem kind of pitiful…"

Finally, she stomped her foot.

Leave!

She wasn't soft-hearted — she just… needed some space!

Xi Yao straightened her back and stepped past the boundary Qi Yan had set.

The moment her foot touched the ground outside, she froze.

She had expected lush greenery, singing birds, flowing rivers — or at least some wild grass and flowers.

Instead, a wasteland stretched before her.

The sky was a murky red, the earth cracked like aged bark, and even the wind carried the metallic tang of blood.

The world was eerily still, lifeless, like an abandoned graveyard.

"???"

Xi Yao stood dumbfounded.

She turned back to look at the courtyard she had just left — bathed in sunlight, vibrant and alive.

Then she looked ahead — this place looked like it had survived an apocalypse.

"This is…" She swallowed hard, muttering to herself, "The Demon Realm?"

A cold breeze swept past, as if answering her.

Instinctively, she took a half-step back, only for her foot to slip, nearly sending her tumbling to the ground.

As she steadied herself, she gritted her teeth. "Qi Yan! Couldn't you have warned me it looked like this out here?!"

Only silence answered her.

Fuming, she stomped her foot but didn't dare venture further.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, "Hey — is anyone here?"

Nothing.

She tried again, louder. "Demons?! Can someone at least point me in the right direction?!"

Still nothing. The air was dead, not even a ghost in sight.

Well… that wasn't entirely true.

In the distance, scattered stone figures stood like weathered statues, their features long eroded by time.

Xi Yao shuddered. "...Did they all just… turn to dust?"

This place made her afraid to even breathe.

She retreated to the courtyard gate, about to go back inside — but then she remembered Qi Yan's words:

"Tonight, I won't keep you."

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself forward.

After a few steps, a realization struck her.

— Wait.

If this was the Demon Realm, where were all the demons?

Even if they were bones, there should at least be remnants, right? Why wasn't there even a trace of ash?

A chill ran down her spine. "...Were they all sealed away?"

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a lazy voice sounded behind her:

"So you do know how to be scared?"

Xi Yao yelped and spun around.

Qi Yan leaned casually against the courtyard gate, one arm resting on the frame, a smirk playing on his lips — as if he had known she wouldn't get far.

Xi Yao glared. "You followed me!"

Qi Yan raised a brow. "Would you rather I left you in the demon wasteland to fend off ghosts by yourself?"

"...Even ghosts wouldn't bother coming here, would they?"

Qi Yan stifled a laugh and strode toward her.

Xi Yao took two steps back, jabbing a finger at his chest.

"Explain! What happened here? Aren't you the Demon God? Where are your people? Your armies? Why is everything just paper puppets you conjured?!"

Qi Yan glanced down at her, answering as if discussing the weather:

"All sealed."

"Huh?" Xi Yao wondered if she had misheard.

"When I was sealed, the entire Demon Realm was locked away as a bonus." He shrugged.

Xi Yao gaped.

"Then how did you break free?"

"Because your heart loosened the seal." He blinked. "The rest, I can't undo."

"So… the entire Demon Realm, and you're the only one left?" Her voice trembled with disbelief.

Qi Yan thought for a moment, then added leisurely, "And you."

"..."

Xi Yao took a deep breath, struggling to keep her composure.

"Then what's your plan? Rule over an empty kingdom by yourself?"

Qi Yan replied unhurriedly, "Wait for you to help me."

"Me?!" Her voice shot up an octave. "Are you joking?!"

"No joke." He stepped closer, looking down at her, his voice low and deliberate. "You're the only one who can undo the Demon Realm's seal."

Xi Yao's legs nearly gave out.

"Why me?!"

Qi Yan smiled. "Because you're the Divine Maiden Xi Yao."

"But I'm just a mortal now!"

"Doesn't matter." He sounded utterly unbothered. "We'll nurture it back slowly. You'll recover eventually."

Xi Yao clutched her head. "Have you lost your mind even more?!"

Qi Yan nodded. "Mn. You drove me to it."

"..."

A sinking feeling settled in her gut — she had been well and truly trapped.

Xi Yao crouched down, muttering under her breath:

"Can't leave, can't escape… I knew this place was a death trap…"

Qi Yan crouched beside her, watching her seriously.

"How about this — we make some demon babies instead."

Xi Yao's eyes widened. "Do you think you're funny?"

Qi Yan chuckled, his voice husky. "Not joking. Dead serious."

Xi Yao: "..."

She suddenly had the intense urge to kick this lunatic to death.

Unfortunately, she was no match for him.

Even more unfortunately, the place was deserted — not even a passerby to call for help.

Fuming, she sucked in a sharp breath, stood up, and dusted off her skirts. "Fine. I'll admit defeat today. But mark my words — I will escape eventually!"

Qi Yan looked at her, smiling lazily.

"Mn. Run all you want."

Xi Yao narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "...You're plotting something again, aren't you?"

Qi Yan didn't answer. Instead, he reached out slowly, as if to take her hand.

Xi Yao instinctively flinched but, after a moment's hesitation, didn't pull away.

His palm was warm, fingers intertwining with hers as he led her step by step deeper into the desolate Demon Realm.

Ahead, the crimson sky stretched endlessly, the wind carrying a faint, briny scent.

Xi Yao clenched her teeth.

One step at a time!

If I can't run… I'll just drag him down with me into madness!