Chapter 27: The Cultivation World Owes Him an Apology

Ning Xianyu spent quite some time wailing in the air, only to be scolded by the system.
“What are you screaming for? You can fly on your own. And even if you couldn’t, it doesn’t matter—this body of the Demon Lord is so tough that even a fall from this height wouldn’t kill you.”
At most, it would just break a few bones.
Ning Xianyu instantly remembered her ability to fly. She quickly gathered spiritual energy, steadied herself, and hovered in the sky.
She certainly didn’t want to fall—the one who’d feel the pain would be her, not the Demon Lord.
With the Demon Lord still fuming, she dared not return, so she decided to follow along from behind.
But before she could catch up, someone else tumbled down from above.
Yi Tianling, though just as caught off guard by the sudden descent, looked much more composed than she had, and didn’t scream at all.
He was still trying to stabilize himself midair, attempting to use his spiritual power to fly.
But he was only at the Golden Core stage—his energy was insufficient. Only those at the Nascent Soul stage could truly fly.
Ning Xianyu sighed inwardly, darted forward, and caught him with both hands.
Yi Tianling steadied his nerves, managed a strained smile up at her, and said, “Th-thank you, Senior.”
They said Ancestor Xuanyuan was a fearsome Demon Lord, moody and merciless, but clearly, he was kind-hearted.
It was the one above—now that was a real temper.
At this moment, Ning Xianyu felt as if she stood eight feet tall—grand and mighty.
See, she’d even saved the male lead. This was a debt he’d have to remember.
Only, Yi Tianling looked around, a little embarrassed.
“Um, Senior, could we perhaps try a different position?”
Ning Xianyu thought, Why should I?
How dare the rescued one make demands?
Aboard the flying vessel, Xuanyuan Tunhan swept his divine sense downward and saw the two of them—and the position they were in.
Yi Tianling’s tall figure was cradled in his arms, looking…
If he knew the term “princess carry,” he would have realized that this infuriating posture was exactly that.
Ning Xianyu was just regaining her balance when a fierce gust from above buffeted her, sending her plummeting again.
What on earth? That temper was out of this world—was he trying to make life impossible?
Ning Xianyu had no choice but to clutch Yi Tianling and dodge aside, then rapidly descend toward the ground.
If she couldn’t placate him, she’d just keep her distance. After all, the one leading the way was the protagonist.
She landed swiftly, finally feeling grounded as her feet touched the grass.
Indeed, people needed to keep their feet on the earth.
As she looked down, she saw Yi Tianling’s face crimson, head bowed in embarrassment—he looked ready to crawl into a hole.

Ning Xianyu glanced at him, then at her own hands, abruptly realizing the problem.
“Mais, what a ridiculous posture! Why am I holding him like this? I’ve never held the Demon Lord this way.”
The system snickered, “You did it yourself, and you held him like that the whole way. I thought you were enjoying it.”
To princess-carry the male lead— even the heroine never got that privilege.
Ning Xianyu quickly set him down and rubbed her arms.
“No wonder the Demon Lord’s angry. I used his body for this posture—he’d be furious. But I really didn’t mean to!”
At the time, saving him was all that mattered—how could she have thought of anything else?
At that moment, Yi Tianling approached. “Se-senior, what should we do now?”
That Senior Ning had left—what were they supposed to do?
It really seemed like they’d quarreled. Yi Tianling began to wonder if it had something to do with him.
Ning Xianyu wanted to sigh. Watching the flying vessel recede farther and farther, she could only say, “Chase it.”
If they didn’t catch up, the Demon Lord would probably come back and crush them.
She reached out her hand, and Yi Tianling recoiled in fright, stammering, “S-senior, maybe we could just walk?”
If she carried him like before, he’d die of embarrassment.
Ning Xianyu was exasperated. Did he think she wanted to princess-carry him all day?
“You’re overthinking it.”
She adopted Xuanyuan Tunhan’s icy demeanor, grabbed his belt, and soared up with him.
After a frantic chase, they finally caught up to the flying vessel. The moment she boarded, Ning Xianyu was desperate to bend over and catch her breath.
But with the Demon Lord glaring at her icily, she dared not, only managing to maintain a cold facade as she sat down beside him.
She longed to cozy up and smile ingratiatingly, but that would ruin the Demon Lord’s image, so she suppressed the urge.
Sensing the tension between the two, Yi Tianling turned the matter over in his mind and felt he’d stumbled on something important.
He actually tried to mediate.
“Senior Ning, Xuanyuan only held me out of necessity. Please don’t be angry. There’s nothing between us, I swear.”
Xuanyuan Tunhan turned to him and looked as if he were staring at an idiot.
Ning Xianyu wanted to cover her face. Grinding her teeth, she asked, “What could there possibly be between two men?”
Are you stupid? You must be stupid.
What are you even explaining?
Can the protagonist please stop asserting his central role every second?
But Yi Tianling looked at her in surprise. “Does Senior Xuanyuan not know? Even men and men can…”
He trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something, and muttered softly, “So Senior Xuanyuan is this innocent!”

To not even know about such things between men—how pure and adorable.
The whole cultivation world called Xuanyuan Tunhan a Demon Lord, the embodiment of evil, killing without blinking, but was he really so innocent?
“Rumors truly can’t be trusted. The entire cultivation world owes Senior Xuanyuan an apology!”
He thought he’d spoken quietly, but the two before him had sharp hearing and caught every word.
Ning Xianyu inwardly cursed.
No, you’re mistaken!
The Demon Lord is anything but innocent!
This is the gravest injustice to innocence!
Xuanyuan Tunhan’s hand twitched—and promptly sent the two of them off the vessel again.
Two idiots. Get lost!
Stupidity, it seemed, was contagious.
Ning Xianyu dragged Yi Tianling back again, telling him to keep his mouth shut before they boarded.
Yi Tianling nodded solemnly.
“Senior is afraid of upsetting Senior Ning—I understand. I promise not to speak again. Senior truly cares for Senior Ning, so devoted and unwavering.”
“…”
Wait—do young people these days have this much imagination?
“System, is this novel supposed to be a farce?”
Why is the protagonist such an idiot?
The system was laughing so hard it could barely speak. “I have no idea either. The original was a male-oriented harem novel. You’ll have to imagine the rest.”
Ning Xianyu felt that the plot was beginning to unravel—even the main character’s persona was changing.
She sat glumly beside Xuanyuan Tunhan, trying to smooth things over.
She’d thoroughly ruined the Demon Lord’s image—what was she to do now?
Once a merciless, cold-blooded villain, now, in her hands, he’d become a pure-hearted, devoted, and kind man in mere days.
What now?
Another day speeding along the expressway to ruin!
Just as she was despairing, Yi Tianling announced, “Senior, we’ve arrived at Xu Town.”