Rise of The Demon General

The feast lasted until late at night. After it ended, the guests were ushered to their sleeping quarters. Most of the guests spent their night in the guest villa. As for Hai Lao and his siblings, they were brought to the mansion where Lan Mei also stayed.

Everyone settled inside their assigned rooms. It was a little past midnight, but Hai Xuang still couldn’t sleep. He had drunk a few more bottles of wine to help him sleep, but it didn’t seem to do the trick. He couldn’t seem to take his mind off something... or someone. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her face.

He finally gave up and sat on his bed. Sighing, he went to the table to drink more wine, only to find that the bottle was empty.

”Hm...,” he looked at the other bottles. He remembered he had emptied those bottles as well.

Sighing, he decided to go to the pantry. The host told them they were allowed to go there in case they wanted midnight snacks or refreshments.

On his way to the pantry, he came across the middle-aged maid from the feast earlier.

”Good evening, sir. Can’t sleep?” The maid asked.

”Yes, I just want to go grab a bottle of wine from the pantry,” Hai Xuang answered.

”Please, don’t trouble yourself. I will take it for you.”

Hai Xuang was about to thank her, but noticed that she was actually carrying a bottle of wine in her hands.

”Uh... Can I take that?” He asked.

The maid looked at the bottle in her hand before giving Hai Xuang an apologetic expression. ”Apology, sir. This is for the mistress. She also cannot sleep. She has gone for a walk beside the lake near the pavilions. I’m bringing this to help her relax.”

”Mistress...? Do you mean Lady Lan Mei?” Hai Xuang asked.

”Yes. She is the Mistress of this place,” the maid confirmed.

”Of course,” Hai Xuang laughed awkwardly. ”Well, I don’t want her to wait too long. No need to bother about me. I will go and get mine from the pantry.”

Hai Xuang was about to leave, but he stopped when he heard the maid say, ”Although... I believe the mistress will appreciate having someone to talk to. How about Sir Hai bring this bottle to her? I bet she will be thrilled.”

”What? Me... But... I... I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Hai Xuang was rather taken aback by the offer.

”Oh, there is nothing to be worried about. It will just be a chat. The mistress will be happy for the additional opportunity to show hospitality to her guests.”

”I... I don’t know...,” Hai Xuang uttered.

Hai Xuang knew this was inappropriate. However, a strange feeling arose inside him, an excitement, an expectation, a yearning. His heart ached for him to take the bottle, and he knew he couldn’t resist the urge.

”Alright. I will get it to her..., I mean, I will bring it to Lady Lan Mei.”

The maid smiled widely. ”That will be sweet, sir.” She handed him the wine bottle and two empty cups.

Hai Xuang thanked her. He walked away but stopped as he thought of something. He turned around and was about to ask the maid why she carried two cups if she only brought the wine to Lan Mei. However, the maid was already a distance away. He decided not to bother with this detail. He walked down to the ground floor before exiting the mansion.

Everything was quiet because almost everyone had gone to bed. He looked at the pavilions. The dark red sky provided little light, but was enough to see her elegant figure standing by the lakeside. He walked toward her.

Lan Mei was a Beginning Fiendish Stage cultivator, and Hai Xuang didn’t conceal his aura, so she knew of his approach. She was surprised by this unexpected visit.

She asked, ”Sir Hai Xuang, what are you doing so late at night?”

He replied, ”I can ask you the same thing, ma’am.”

”Please, just call me Lan Mei. So, you have trouble sleeping as well?” She chuckled. ”I guess we are both anxious about the summit tomorrow. It affects the fate of our domains, after all.”

”I’m sure you will do just fine.”

”Easy for you to say. I am the one who must negotiate with your brother.”

Hai Xuang laughed awkwardly. ”Well, I’m afraid I must warn you, he is not an easy person to persuade. However, he is reasonable and fair. As long as the agreements make sense, I’m sure our two parties will work something out.”

”I am glad to hear that. Hm... Is that a wine bottle in your hand?” Lan Mei asked.

”Yes. Your maid is on her way to give this to you. I offer to bring it in her stead.”

”Do you now? Mm... In that case, care to join me?” Lan Mei offered.

”I was afraid you would never ask,” Hai Xuang joked, which caused Lan Mei to laugh.

”Be careful, young master of the Devotion Faction. You are teasing the wife of the leader of the Commitment Faction,” Lan Mei joked back.

Hai Xuang laughed at her joke, but she caught a brief shift in his expression. An expression of sadness and disappointment. She didn’t dare to consider what prompted that expression.

”Come. Let us drink in the pavilion,” Lan Mei proposed.

Hai Xuang didn’t refuse. He followed her into the pavilion.

He sat and poured wine into the two cups. He gave one to Lan Mei. ”I’ve been wondering. Lord Lang Man is known to be protective of his wives, but I saw no bodyguard watching over you. Are they watching over you from the shadows? They must have a good concealment art, because I don’t sense anyone nearby aside from us.”

”It is only us,” Lan Mei assured. ”No need to worry about us being watched. The bodyguards my husband assigned to me are the ones who guard the perimeter of this estate.”

”Aren’t they afraid an intruder might slip in undetected?” Hai Xuang asked.

”A barrier was erected after your team entered this estate,” Lan Mei explained. ”No one can enter this place. Whether by land, air, or ground. The barrier blocked all entry and exit. My people will know if someone tries to trespass, and my bodyguards will deal with the intruders.”

”One thing I’m curious about, but I don’t know if it is appropriate for me to ask.”

”What is it?”

”It is about your bodyguards.”

”What about them?”

”Is it true... that they are eunuchs?”

Lan Mei giggled. ”Well. It is true that they no longer possess their manhood.”

Hai Xuang winced. ”So, the rumor is true. Ugh, I can’t imagine anyone willing to accept that condition, even for a prestigious position.”

”Most of them don’t get the position by choice.”

Hai Xuang shook his head with a pitiful expression. ”Anyway, I’m still surprised that there is not at least one or two bodyguards staying close by your side.”

”My husband did order them to, but I ordered them to stay at the perimeter and not to come near.”

”Huh? Shouldn’t your husband’s order supersede yours?”

Lan Mei shrugged. ”My husband gave me the power to execute any bodyguard who disobeys me. They might get executed later if my husband knows they don’t protect me closely, but they will be executed immediately if they don’t obey me.”

”Damn! Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. I pity your bodyguards.”

”They have only themselves to blame for being weak. Weak people have no right to choose.”

”You are right. Only the strong can dictate their fates,” Hai Xuang agreed. Lan Mei gave him her empty cup, asking for a refill. Hai Xuang couldn’t help but think her expression was slightly sad.

”There is another rumor I heard about your husband,” Hai Xuang said. ”But considering you are here, I guess this one is false.”

”What rumor?” Lan Mei asked.

”That your husband doesn’t trust a woman to handle important matters.”

Lan Mei laughed. ”Oh, that is not false,” she said.

”Oh? Then how come...”

”Because he made a promise when he married me.”

”A promise?” Hai Xuang asked.

”I made several demands when he asked for my hand. One of these demands is that I will not be a trophy wife like his other wives. I want a position with serious responsibility. Another one is that I get to choose my first three tasks. Being the peace envoy here is my second task. I’m going to prove that a woman can be as capable as a man.”

”I won’t argue with that. I know many women who are better than men. My aunt, who is also the Dictator of our faction, is one of them. Hell, the domain lord of the Mercy Faction is a woman. Looking down at a woman simply shows how petty and ignorant someone is... Oh, sorry, I mean no disrespect to your husband.”

Lan Mei giggled. ”That’s okay. He deserves it.”

”Still... Why did you make demands? I thought you two were married because you love one another?”

Lan Mei looked at him like he had asked a dumb question. She said, ”The only one in our lord’s household with the illusion of being in love is Lord Lang Man himself. None of us married him because of love.”