Chapter 2285: For the Saintess

Zu An recalled the message he had received from Biluo Palace just days ago, stating that Pei Mianman had left a note and departed, her whereabouts unknown. At the time, he had been worried about her safety, never expecting to learn of her through such circumstances.

He urgently asked, "Where is Pei Mianman now?" The four great families were all selecting Saintesses for unknown reasons, and he wondered if she might be in danger.

The Yun family head replied, "She said she wanted to retrace her mother's footsteps, traveling throughout the demon territories to places where her mother lived, studied, and even performed acts of chivalry. She plans to return and fulfill her duties as Saintess after she has completed her personal quest. I figured since the Soren family matter hadn't been resolved yet, I agreed to her request."

Hearing that she was not currently at the Yun family, Zu An couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He knew the mysterious True Demon Emissary was also at the Yun family, and Pei Mianman might be ambushed if she was caught off guard.

"Based on the time, she should be returning to the Yun family soon," the Yun family head added, making Zu An's heart tense up again. He immediately summoned the power of heaven and earth, causing gusts of wind to surge around the flying boat, increasing its speed severalfold. The demons on board changed their expressions, thinking to themselves that this person was truly unfathomable, capable of altering natural phenomena at will. The other women were accustomed to such displays and instead mused that Miss Pei must hold an extraordinary place in Brother Zu's heart.

Meanwhile, in the Yun family ancestral land, Pei Mianman inquired with a maidservant and learned that the Yun family head had allied with two other families to attack the Soren family. She frowned slightly, then, after dismissing the maid, paced restlessly in her room. "The situation in the demon territory is truly bizarre. That so-called True Demon Emissary is most likely an outer-world fiend. I need to inform Ah Zu quickly, lest the entire world undergoes another upheaval."

"In any case, I've almost finished investigating my mother's affairs, so there's no point in staying here any longer."

She hadn't initially known about this True Demon Emissary, but had secretly investigated after sensing some changes in the demon territory, which led her to discover the Emissary's existence. She had first considered staying to covertly sabotage the True Demon Emissary's plans, but after careful consideration, she abandoned that idea. The True Demon Emissary's power was unknown; if she messed things up and had to be rescued by Ah Zu, it would be a joke. It was better to seize the opportunity while the Soren family was resisting and before they could gather all the Four Elephant Stones, and notify Ah Zu as soon as possible – that was the wisest course.

With that thought, she no longer hesitated, immediately rising and opening the door, preparing to leave under the cover of night. To her surprise, as soon as she opened the door, a man was standing right outside. He was handsome, but his slender eyebrows and thin lips gave him a distinctly effeminate and sinister look. A smile he clearly thought was charming played on his face. "Where is the Saintess planning to go?"

Pei Mianman subconsciously took a few steps back, putting some distance between them. "Emissary, what brings you here so late?"

"My recent endeavors haven't made any progress for certain reasons, so I came out for a walk to see if I could find some inspiration," the True Demon Emissary chuckled.

Pei Mianman coldly replied, "Why would the Emissary seek inspiration at my residence?"

"The world praises the Yun family Saintess for her unparalleled talent and beauty, and seeing you today, the reputation is well-deserved." The True Demon Emissary's gaze swept over her exquisite face, finally resting on her ample bosom, thinking how truly exceptional her figure was. He bowed slightly. "The moonlight is beautiful tonight. Might I invite the Saintess to enjoy it with me?"

"I'm afraid that's not convenient," Pei Mianman directly refused. "We Saintesses are chosen to serve the Demon God and cannot associate with other men, not even the Emissary." With that, she moved to close the door. However, the True Demon Emissary's hand quickly pressed against the door. "The Saintess's words are rather disingenuous. We are all sensible people; there's no need to feign ignorance."

"What do you mean?" Pei Mianman frowned slightly.

The True Demon Emissary smiled, gazing at her exquisite face, a glint of greed in his eyes. "The Saintesses of the four great demon families are chosen to serve the Demon God. Regardless of other conditions, each must be a pure and chaste virgin. But you... are you?"

Pei Mianman's expression changed. She was, of course, well aware of this fact. Back in the secret realm, she had played various roles and had her chastity broken by that fellow Zu An several times. However, the intimate details were not for outsiders to know. Before she could speak, the True Demon Emissary interjected, "If everyone knew that you, the Yun family Saintess, have long lost your purity, do you know what the consequences would be? The entire Yun family would become a laughingstock. The other three families would use this to attack the Yun family, and the Soren family's current plight would become the Yun family's future."

Pei Mianman snorted, "What does that have to do with me?"

The True Demon Emissary paused, taken aback. Her reaction had thrown him off. However, he quickly recovered, realizing some people were shrewd egoists who only cared about their own interests and not their family's. So, he immediately changed his approach. "Besides the Yun family becoming a target of public scorn, you yourself would become a blasphemer. At that point, there would be no place for you in the entire demon territory, and your end would be extremely tragic, enduring the cruelest punishments in demon history." He paused again, then sneered wickedly, "So, you wouldn't want your secret to be known by others, would you?" In his imagination, she would undoubtedly be terrified at this point and would beg him for mercy. If he merely hinted that he had a way to save her, this enchanting woman would have no choice but to comply with his wishes.

To his surprise, Pei Mianman coldly stated, "Are you done talking? If so, then get out. I want to sleep!" What did she care about having no place in the demon territory? She didn't want to stay there anyway. She knew exactly what this True Demon Emissary was plotting and found it utterly disgusting. With a bang, the door slammed shut. The True Demon Emissary, about to step forward, crashed directly into the door with his nose.

Tears nearly streamed from his eyes. After a moment of bewildered shock, he erupted in anger, directly kicking the door open. What greeted him was a blooming black flame of roses, brimming with destructive power. Even the True Demon Emissary had to retreat to evade it. The black flame was of a very high grade, especially with a black butterfly faintly discernible within it, making him extremely wary. He had to admit that she was indeed the most deserving of the Saintess title among the current generation of demon maidens; he just wondered who had taken her virginity beforehand. Looking at the maiden's exquisite beauty and enchanting figure, he even felt a twinge of jealousy towards that man, wondering who was so fortunate.

"Saintess, what happened?" The commotion attracted the surrounding guards.

"This fellow broke in late at night, intending to assault me!" Pei Mianman quickly explained. The numerous guards immediately flew into a rage. Given Pei Mianman's beauty and status, even though she had only been at the Yun family for a short time, she had already gained many admirers and supporters. Upon hearing that she had almost been violated, they could no longer contain themselves. They drew their weapons and charged at the True Demon Emissary.

The True Demon Emissary, seeing this, shouted, "This Saintess is a fake! She's no longer a virgin; she's a blasphemer! Seize her!" However, he quickly froze, realizing that no one was obeying his orders. On the contrary, they were all cursing him, accusing him of failing in his assault and then slandering the Saintess. Only then did he realize that, to maintain secrecy, his identity was known only to a few, and these soldiers naturally trusted the apparent Saintess more.

Thinking of his various misfortunes that day, his heart became exceptionally irritable. "All of you, get out of my sight!" An invisible sound wave spread out, and soon, the guards at the very front had their heads explode into bloody mist, dying instantly.

"Saintess, hurry and leave! We'll hold him off!" Although the remaining guards' faces showed shock and horror, none of them were afraid. Those chosen to guard the Saintess were the most excellent and courageous individuals in the entire family.

Just then, a graceful figure rushed in front of the True Demon Emissary, saving several guards who were about to be killed. Pei Mianman calmly stated, "How could I be the kind of person who sacrifices others' lives just to escape? If need be, we fight!" Immediately, black rose-like karmic flames bloomed around her, and a black butterfly faintly danced among the roses. Her aura surged dramatically, and for a moment, she was almost as strong as the True Demon Emissary opposite her. The remaining guards were all greatly emboldened, waving their weapons and roaring, "Fight for the Saintess!"

The True Demon Emissary's expression changed slightly. He was not afraid of these people, but he had miscalculated today, causing the matter to escalate too much. He had expected Pei Mianman to yield, but never anticipated her direct defiance. He could already hear that the entire Yun family seemed to have been alerted by the commotion, and a steady stream of people would arrive as reinforcements, putting him at a significant disadvantage. After all, very few people knew his identity at present! Moreover, he considered the entire Yun family his private property, and killing them himself would be truly painful. It would be better to wait until the Yun family head returned.

With that thought, he took a deep look at Pei Mianman. "Saintess, you've truly surprised me today. But I will return; you will eventually be mine!" After speaking, his entire body transformed into a wisp of black smoke and vanished.