281: Grandma Aoki

(The craziness is over; back to normal.)

Northwest of the Demon, Qingmu Plain.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sun, and the You Xiang of mixed aged decaying leaves and resin wafted through the demonic aura.

It was so quiet that one could hear the "tick-tock" of dewdrops rolling off the leaves.

This was the territory of the tree Demon "Old Ancestor Qingmu," who was famous in the Demon for her extreme germophobia and social anxiety.

Ordinary little Demons had to tiptoe past, for fear of disturbing this ancestor's peace and quiet.

This tranquility, which had lasted for over a thousand years, was completely crushed today!!!

"In the green, green forest, we dig, dig, dig."

"Inviting the tree Demon ancestor to watch a square dance!"

The demonic sound, accompanied by its own speakers, was like a broken gong crashing into a crystal palace, brashly tearing open the curtain of silence in Qingmu Plain.

Immediately after, a brash "Underworld-style" pungent fragrance instantly polluted the originally crisp air molecules.

The White-Haired Loli, our "Chief Cultural Ambassador of the Underworld to the Demon."

Carrying her "Wolf-Clan-Fainting" Wangchuan-brand red oil copper pot, she took the lead and stepped into this "pure land."

The red oil in the pot was still bubbling and churning, and the splashing oil droplets sizzled as they hit the humus layer, scalding out shiny oily marks.

The Grass Spirit Dog pups behind her had vacant eyes and unsteady steps, as if their souls had been snatched away.

Sister Feng Xi covered her nose and mouth with her paws and curled into a ball, repeatedly muttering in her heart.

[The position, for the official position, I must endure.]

Deep within Qingmu Plain, an ancient banyan tree that would take a hundred people to encircle trembled slightly.

The wood-attribute dragon patterns on the bark shimmered; this was Old Ancestor Qingmu's true form.

Several jade-colored leaves in the canopy shook incessantly, exuding a sense of offended disgust.

"Where did this wild girl come from? Get out!"

An ancient spiritual sense lashed out at Chen Yu in front, like a vine whip striking the air.

Chen Yu paused, her gold-rimmed glasses reflecting light as she looked at the ancient banyan.

Instead of retreating, she slammed the copper pot down with a 'clang' onto the mossy ground that Old Ancestor Qingmu had kept so clean not even a fallen leaf could be seen.

"Old Ancestor Qingmu?"

She snatched up a spirit grass megaphone and brought it to her mouth, her voice so loud it startled the dormant Sound-Wood Bird demons in the treetops into flight.

"This seat, the Chief Cultural Ambassador of the Underworld to the Demon, Prefecture City God Chen Yu,"

"In the spirit of 'Demon Unity and Cultural Integration' today, I have brought the Underworld's intangible cultural heritage, the 'Wangchuan-brand Passionate Square Dance,' for an exchange."

She pointed to the wilted group of pups. "See that? This is the 'Evergrande Star' dance troupe, meticulously trained by the Underworld."

"Free lessons today! Guaranteed to learn; if you don't learn, it's free—until you, old lady, finally learn it."

Feng Xi's vision went dark.

[A tree Demon dancing???]

[It's over, the official position is probably going down the drain.]

Old Ancestor Qingmu's spiritual sense suddenly exploded. "Get out!!! Who wants to learn your trashy dance? Take your toxic pot and get out of my forest, right now, immediately!"

Majestic demonic aura spread from the ancient banyan, pressing down until the light in the forest dimmed.

Tens of thousands of tree vines twisted in the shadows, transforming into hundred-zhang giant pythons, poised to strike.

Any other Demon would have been paralyzed with fear by the pressure of a 'Demi-God Realm' great Demon.

But who was Chen Yu?

The designated executor of the "chaotic punches kill the old master" strategy, handpicked by Shang Wan Ning.

Not only was she not afraid, but she also straightened her slender waist, her eyes narrowing into a line behind her glasses.

She was full of excitement, thinking, "Finally, a tough nut to crack."

"Oh, Granny, you need to change that temper of yours."

She put on a heartbroken, sharp-tongued expression. "One look and I can tell you stay home all the time and rarely socialize."

"Do you know you're prone to osteoporosis? Come on, move to my rhythm, release your stress, and embrace green health."

Completely ignoring the restless tree vines, she turned and roared at the paralyzed pups.

"Kids, cue the music~ 'Drunken Piranha' ready, and go!"

Chen Yu pulled out a palm-sized phonograph stone engraved with a Ghost Messenger's seal and injected half a percent of her spiritual power into it.

Instantly, a demonic drumbeat that made the leaves tremble echoed throughout Qingmu Plain.

"No matter what, I can't fly out~ of this flowery world~"

"It turns out I'm just a~ Drunken Piranha~"

Chen Yu started twisting first, her movements so exaggerated she almost kicked over the copper pot.

While twisting, she shouted, "Feng Nuo, lead your classmates in the dance! Let Granny see the vitality of the Underworld."

Feng Nuo: "..."

The black-and-white spotted puppy who was called out had a tragic expression as he climbed up from the ground, closed his eyes, extended his paws, and stiffly flailed around to the rhythm.

Under the dual pressure of the demonic sound and "Lord Prefectural City God," the other pups also numbly extended their paws and kicked their legs.

The scene instantly transformed from a "cultural exchange" into a "large-scale puppy seizure site."

The distorted movements paired with the deafening song had a lethality comparable to a mental pollution bomb.

Old Ancestor Qingmu: "!!!"

The ancient banyan shook so much that leaves fell with a "rustle," like several rounds of green rain.

Her spiritual sense trembled with rage. "Stop your hands, stop your feet, stop your mouth..."

"My leaves, my peace and quiet, ah..."

The tree vines could no longer hold back and shot through the air, lunging straight at Chen Yu and her copper pot with a gust of strong wind.

At the very moment the vines were about to hook onto the corner of Chen Yu's clothes:

Chila~

A spatial ripple spread out in front of Chen Yu, and a faint golden shimmer containing the aura of a deity flashed and vanished.

The menacing tree vines crashed into a solid barrier; most of the force was dissipated, only stirring up a few innocent fallen leaves.

Chen Yu was twisting with such joy that she didn't notice the danger at all, thinking her dance moves had intimidated the opponent, and she twisted even more vigorously.

"See that, Granny? This is the charm of music and dance. Even your vines can't help but want to join us."

"Come on, come on, don't be shy."

Old Ancestor Qingmu: "..."

She could sense the divine power fluctuation that had just flashed by.

That was the power of laws that made the soul tremble, definitely not something this little shorty in front of her could possess.

[There is a deity protecting her in the shadows.]

The ancient banyan fell silent~

The leaves stopped falling, and the demonic aura slowly retracted.

The tree vines also silently withdrew into the shadows.

[It's not being a coward; it's following one's heart.]

Hidden higher up, among the branches and leaves of a ten-thousand-year-old ironwood tree that almost touched the clouds.

Meng Jiang withdrew the faint light from her palm, looking down at the White-Haired Loli who was still working hard to "release vitality."

[A-Yu's 'chaotic punches' have even left a Demi-God Realm great Demon at a loss.]

Meng Jiang's internal monologue: "The effect is outstanding, but it's a bit hard on the blood pressure."

[Oh, not bad. The senses of these spies have clearly also been disturbed by the 'music.']

Meng Jiang's fingertips moved slightly, and several strands of divine sense entwined with the source of the spiritual sense, branding it with Lady Meng's unique Nethermark.

Once the marking was complete, Meng Jiang's gaze narrowed slightly, and her figure gradually faded among the branches and leaves.

[I would like to see if it's an old acquaintance from the God War a thousand years ago.]

The square dance "teaching" lasted for a full four hours. By the time the White-Haired Loli was red-faced and drenched in sweat, the pups were so tired their tongues were hanging out.

Old Ancestor Qingmu didn't dare to take any further action.

[Little ancestor, I beg you to leave quickly. When gods fight, please spare us little Demons!]