Realm of the Night God

In the study, Yang Haoran had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his fingers gently tapping on the desk, lost in thought.

As for what he was contemplating at this moment, no one, except himself, knew.

In the corridor outside the study, Evil Spirit Xiu Juan led Serpent Demon to inspect the room. This Evil Spirit Xiu Juan happened to be Xiaokang's mother.

The Soul Gathering Bead on Xiaokang's neck had been specially treated by Yang Haoran. Xiu Juan could enter and exit the Soul Gathering Bead freely without any restrictions. Normally, in the presence of outsiders, she would not reveal her Soul Body, afraid of startling ordinary people and causing unnecessary trouble. However, in front of Serpent Demon, she had no reservations.

After all, one was a demon, and the other was a ghost. Although different, they wouldn't feel awkward or fearful due to each other's unique identities.

The order for Xiu Juan to show the room to Serpent Demon naturally came from Yang Haoran. Xiu Juan was more than willing to assist Yang Haoran, not just because of Yang Haoran's status, but also due to the favor Yang Haoran had shown her.

Compared to the honored Xiu Juan, Serpent Demon wore a face filled with bitterness and helplessness. Although there was a smile on her face, it appeared forced.

The reason for this expression was Yang Haoran's decision not to let her leave. Instead, he instructed her to stay here until the transaction was completed.

From Serpent Demon's perspective, she considered their deal concluded. She had shared all the information she knew with Yang Haoran, and he could proceed on his own. However, Yang Haoran viewed their transaction differently. He didn't know if the information she provided was true or false, so until he found that Malevolent Spirit, the deal was not over.

Thus, Yang Haoran asked her to stay here temporarily. To put it nicely, he invited her, but in harsher terms, he was essentially putting her under soft confinement.

When one is under someone else's roof, one must bow their head. Although Serpent Demon was furious about Yang Haoran's actions, she had to comply with his wishes.

No choice, her strength was evident. If she didn't cooperate, she feared Yang Haoran might end up having snake soup for dinner.

Even though being under soft confinement made her feel stifled, compared to her life, what did it matter?

She was a demon, evolving from an ordinary white snake to a spiritually awakened spirit, and finally, through cultivation, she had become an expert. This was a long and perilous journey, and she valued her life because only she knew how challenging it was to reach where she was today.

Therefore, even though Yang Haoran had confined her, she didn't express anger towards him. She understood that getting angry wouldn't solve the problem and might even cost her life.

Choosing to endure, stabilize Yang Haoran first, and then act on her own accord was the most sensible approach.

"Beauty, my name is Xiu Juan. May I ask how I should address you?" Xiu Juan's Soul Body floated in the air, her milky white eyes fixed on Serpent Demon as she spoke.

If an ordinary person were stared at by such dead fish eyes, they would likely be terrified. However, Serpent Demon had seen grander spectacles and wasn't intimidated by such a gaze.

"I'm called Bai Xue, Bai as in daytime, and Xue as in snowflake," Serpent Demon forced a smile and replied.

In Serpent Demon's eyes, Evil Spirits were nothing special. Even the strongest Evil Spirit wouldn't be her match. However, the current Evil Spirit was under Yang Haoran's command, and she had no intention of offending him.

"Bai Xue, what a beautiful name. Is Bai your surname?" Xiu Juan asked.

"No, it's mainly because I look pale, so I chose this name. I cultivated into a spirit on my own, so I don't have a surname."

After Serpent Demon finished speaking, she glanced at Xiu Juan, speculating in her mind.

She sensed a strong Yin Qi from Xiu Juan but didn't detect much resentment. This led her to believe that Xiu Juan might be related to Yang Haoran in some way, and Yang Haoran had taken her in after her death, helping her advance to the Evil Spirit realm.

It was normal for Serpent Demon to make such assumptions. However, she was unaware that her guess was wrong. The reason for the diminishing resentment on Xiu Juan's Soul Body was because she could now spend her days with her son, witnessing his happiness. She was content and happy, causing the lingering resentment on her Soul Body to gradually dissipate.

"Bai Xue, take a look at this room. If you don't like it, I'll find another one for you," Xiu Juan led Serpent Demon Bai Xue into a room and asked.

The room wasn't overly spacious but was nicely decorated.

Serpent Demon took a glance and smiled at Xiu Juan, saying, "This is fine; I'm not picky about accommodation. Besides, I won't be staying long."

"If there are no issues, then rest for now. I'll take my leave," Xiu Juan said before departing.

Xiu Juan was also straightforward. Seeing that Serpent Demon had no objections, she left the room. A cold breeze gently closed the door, leaving Serpent Demon alone in the room.

After Xiu Juan left, the forced smile on Serpent Demon's face finally disappeared. She sighed and, as if suddenly drained of strength, collapsed onto the bed. Her face buried in the bedding, she muttered, "What kind of situation is this?"

From beneath the covers came Serpent Demon's muffled voice. Rolling over, her expression was filled with helplessness and frustration.

"What a mess!"

In the bed, Serpent Demon raised her left hand, and her gaze fell on the Death Mark Seal now present in her left palm. This Death Mark Seal, without a doubt, was planted by Yang Haoran. However, unlike the Death Mark Seal inside Night Watch, this one not only didn't provide Serpent Demon with any Yin Spirit power but also suppressed the demonic spiritual power within her.

In simple terms, this Death Mark Seal was a seal that Yang Haoran left within Serpent Demon. With this seal, not only would her strength be suppressed, but her life would also be constantly under threat from Yang Haoran. Whenever he wished, he could activate the Yin Spirit power within the Death Mark Seal to attack the demonic pill within Serpent Demon's body.

If Yang Haoran chose to do so, even if she didn't die, she would be severely harmed.

Comparing her current situation, she felt that being confined by the demon suppression talisman in the wooden house was actually preferable. At least there, her life wasn't threatened, and occasionally, she could feast on a person.

Now, seemingly free from the wooden house, she realized the opposite was true. Not only had her freedom not been restored, but her life was also under threat. This made her feel inexplicably bitter.

The more Serpent Demon thought about it, the more she felt frustrated. Since becoming a spirit, she had encountered many dangers, narrowly escaping death several times. However, she had never experienced a situation where someone controlled her so thoroughly. It was an indescribable feeling of frustration.

"This damn Underworld Envoy appears friendly on the surface but is actually a scheming individual. I have to endure whatever he says and cannot provoke him. I must endure for the sake of my freedom. No matter what methods I have to use, I must at least preserve my life. Only by staying alive can I have a future. Once I'm dead, everything ends!"

Serpent Demon comforted herself internally. In reality, she had another worry in her heart, one she dared not think about but couldn't ignore.

Her concern was that when the transaction was completed, Yang Haoran might not honor his promise. Instead, he could continue to threaten her by confining her, and that would be disastrous. This was the last outcome she wanted to see.

"I can only pray that this Underworld Envoy isn't the person I imagine him to be. Otherwise, I'm in trouble. Ugh, this damn Underworld Envoy annoys me so much. If I had the strength, I would definitely swallow him whole, not even spitting out his bones!"

Thinking fiercely, Serpent Demon lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and sighed. Her body was weak, partly due to being trapped by the demon suppression talisman for an extended period, making recovery difficult. Additionally, her recent battle with the demon suppression talisman had left her with more injuries, worsening her physical condition.

The soft bedding was comfortable, and lying on the bed, Serpent Demon couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Humans truly know how to enjoy life. If I weren't a demon but a human, how great would that be? Even being an ordinary person would be nice."

"Sigh, beasts aspire to become human, yet many humans strive to become beasts. The world is complex, and so are the hearts of people."

"Speaking of humans, I suddenly feel hungry. I really want to eat a few humans to nourish my body. It's just a pity that there are delicious morsels all around me, but I dare not open my mouth. I can only endure the temptation lying here. This torment is truly unbearable!"