Command 2: The Demonic Advisor’s Granddaughter and the Selection of Demons Palace Disciples

[Middle Section – The Selection]

Near the end of mao period, Dew Residence was completely quiet. A petite, elegant figure cladded in a long light blue dress with a flowing lotus pattern. Ning’ai spun as she observed herself in the mirror, smiling. To be born as a woman, one definitely had a fondness for beauty. Surely, even someone as simple as Ning’ai was no exception.

As they say, a good appearance is already half the battle.

After preparing a simple minced pork porridge to eat with her grandfather, she diligently expanded the domain of the House’s Daughter to cover the area surrounding Dew Residence.

She had heard from her grandfather that other sects and factions had begun moving due to the demonic advisor’s return to his position. A day like this, when the Demons Palace opened its gates, was an easy opportunity for infiltration. While the guards were strict, she couldn’t trust it. Ning’ai disliked anyone trespassing into her home—especially those who aimed to tear her house apart.

The ‘House’s Daughter’ had two characteristics.

The first one was innate characteristics. As the name of the House’s Daughter suggested, the owner of it could be an unmatched homemaking expert. Sweeping, mopping, cooking, sewing, painting, music, gardening—anything considered a task of a fine woman. Besides, her demeanor, no matter what she was doing, was captivating and alluring.

Ning’ai referred to it as "heroine skills."

The second one was implementing characteristics. It acted as a perfect territory. Within the space, which she designated, everything was subject to her will—moving objects, setting conditions, or sensing people coming or leaving. The limitation was that it could only be used in a place where she had resided for no less than three days. The territory’s size increased according to her cultivation progress.

It was like a guardian spirit.

At the wide courtyard before the palace, the little girl held hands with the elderly man dressed in a white robe with water ripple patterns, which were made with an intricate skill. She entered the place adorably. The space before the palace, one that was next to the gates, was the spacious courtyard, which had an area for multi-purpose use. Further ahead were five dueling platforms and the front, large buildings of the palace, leading to the middle and inner sections. She secretly saw the Lord on a throne, dressed in the outfit she had sewn for him the day before.

Yes, a throne. Although she had never seen a dragon throne before, this was a close approximation—except it was a demon throne… The more she looked at it, the more it made her skin crawl. It was a stark contrast with the man who dressed in a white-and-black outfit with pale blue lotus patterns.

Ah, if she had seen that throne earlier and known the Lord would sit on it today, she wouldn’t have made this outfit.

“Grandfather, I made a wrong decision, didn’t I?” Her small hand tugged at the wrinkled hand that held hers. She looked up and asked him in a soft voice.

Ning’ai felt like crying.

“Heh heh, I think it suits him well.” Advisor Huimo laughed in his throat. He gave his little granddaughter a faint smile. This granddaughter truly was skilled in homemaking. The outfit she tailored was so great that the demon became a deity atop a pile of ruins. This was so great.

The elder escorted his granddaughter to the location before leaving and taking his place beside the Demon Throne. Making her first public appearance before the eyes of the demon clan, Ning’ai was the center of attention. Beside her was an elder, roughly fifty years old, with dark, muscular skin and a stern expression. He was likely the examiner for the male candidates.

“Greetings, Elder. I am Ning’ai.” The one with a sweet, melodious voice said to build a friendship.

“Mmm, the granddaughter of the Advisor? I am Hailang. Who allowed a child like you to take on this role? Does the palace no longer wish to accept female disciples?” The older one said, not with scorn but with genuine curiosity.

“The Lord,” Ning’ai replied simply without wasting time.

“Hmph.” Once he heard the innocent answer from the kid, Hailang grunted in his throat. He didn’t understand the goal of the man who stood above all demons in the martial world.

Was it to bully his own advisor? Or was it to return power to him?

When he thought about it, he could only stand observing the petite figure… Demonesses in the martial world were not numerous, but those who existed were formidable. The selection of disciples for the Demons Palace wasn’t about choosing clueless children. If they chose from small sects or demonic martial art warriors who wanted to join the Ten Thousand Demons Palace, it was common that there would be one or two demonesses of commander level who joined.

[Internal Energy Levels: Beginner > Practitioner > Martial Artist > Commander > General > King > Emperor > Hero > Ancient Master]

Sure enough, there would be a chaos.

When it was time, the drum resounded thunderously, thousands of eyes fixed on every action of the man seated on the Demon Throne. It wasn’t often that the Lord of the Demons Palace personally came out to watch a selection. Usually, in the past, he would send his consultants, advisors, or the deputy lord to sit in his place. The first reason was the necessity of having a high-ranking figure of the palace to welcome and honor the fellow demons. The other reason was to monitor it.

So, this year was quite special.

Gu Yangjie said nothing, only waving his hand once as a signal. The crowd divided into two distinct groups—males on one side, females on the other—to be tested by the chosen elders.

Elders? This small, round, white one?!

“Greetings, big demon sisters. I am Ning’ai, tasked by the Lord of the palace to oversee the selection of the demons palace female disciples.” Ning’ai stood smiling widely at the big demon sisters, allowing them to observe her. In her hands was a wooden cylinder containing dozens of wooden sticks.

“How old are you?” A demoness asked. She had heard quite many rumors that there was a reverse aging manuscript. Perhaps, this child could be an old demoness who had mastered such arts and lived for over a century.

“Ten winters,” Ning’ai replied promptly.

The demonesses froze, feeling embarrassed. To have a little child test them—they hadn’t thought the Ten Thousand Demons Palace would offend demonesses like this!!

“Who does the Ten Thousand Demons Palace think they are?! Isn’t this too much?!!!”

“Is this a joke?!!”

“Despicable! They offended us this much. Little kid, blame your Lord for sending you to your death!!!”

Hundreds of curses came from the demonesses. Ning’ai rolled her eyes to the sky and sighed. Such was the nature of demons—what could she do? Come to think about it, the Lord was also at fault for sending a little kid instead of an elder to test them, even though she was equal to them when it came to the matter of skills. 

Whoosh...

There was a sound of a gust of wind for a moment. The left side of the testing grounds became a gravity field emanating from a small child, who was smiling playfully. The demonesses’ eyes bulged as they stared at the little kid they had underestimated in shock.

“Any elder sisters who are dissatisfied may proceed to the exit,” a sweet, clear voice said expressionlessly as all the force disappeared like a wind that passed by.

At this point, the demonesses knew that the Ten Thousand Demons Palace had no intention of mocking them. How great was it for them that the other party sent a genius demon of the general level to face them and select demon disciples?

The rule of demons: the strong are the master.

“I shall take it that none of you object, big sisters,” Ning’ai said after scanning.

Who would dare?! Just this pressure alone had them on the verge of collapsing to their knees.

“Please, big sisters, draw fortune sticks. My selection method is this simple.” The little kid said as she raised the wooden cylinder in her hands.

This method of selection not only left the demonesses, who came to join the selection, stunned, but even the demon disciples, commanders, and generals were all doubting about it. When they were about to say something, the Lord of the Demons Palace pressured them not to do anything. The blue, hawk-like eyes sparkled, contrasting with his expressionless face.

The last time the Deputy Lord of the Demons Palace saw that gaze was during a battle against the righteous faction’s top martial artist.

Come to think about it, the calamity might arrive at the Demons Palace soon…

Unable to do anything, the frustrated demonesses could only bite their lips and nails as they draw the fortune sticks from the girl’s ordinary wooden cylinder. Some passed, while others failed, with the results scattered. Yet every time a stick was drawn, she immediately divided the demonesses into their respective buildings without waiting or questioning.

Only demonesses of martial artist level passed, and most were satisfied with their assigned buildings.

But why? Could it be that this little kid had psychic abilities? They only saw a stick that was drawn—no differing lengths or colors.

However, those with martial art energy at the level of having internal energy eyes could clearly see it when they stared at it… Internal Energy Will was an advanced technique, one that weaved internal energy meridians into pure wills on objects. A thousand years ago, it had been commonly found in temple mechanisms, hidden messages, and famous formations. It was a long-lost skill. They hadn’t expected the famous demonic advisor to bring it here with him.

Magnificent! With such an intelligent demonic advisor, who was a lucky star, how could the Ten Thousand Demons Palace not become the top in the martial world?

Unbeknownst to them, Huimo, the Demonic Advisor and adoptive grandfather of the little girl, could only suppress his shock. Of course, he was overjoyed. However, he hadn’t thought that, by handing his granddaughter the fragmented and incomplete manuscript of Internal Energy Will for her to idly read, she would master it herself. 

This alone would bring a flood of trouble the old man’s way.  

Meanwhile, the light-blue-clad little girl was completely unbothered.  A part of that was because of A Fragment of Infinity, which made understanding all techniques easy, she couldn’t discern whether a technique was high or low level. If she had known, Ning’ai would never have displayed this and would have chosen a different method instead.

But it was too late to realize it later.

In the future, she wouldn’t be able to complain to the heavens or the earth. She could only blame herself.