My Beautiful Duchess Wife

My Beautiful Duchess Wife Author: Little Magician

Synopsis: A cold duke, a charming princess, a cute little girl... When one obstacle after another appears before Lin Peng, he either overcomes it or... is buried alive. Faced with a terrifying evil lord, a proud dark dragon, and so-called demons everywhere, Lin Peng has no choice but to bite the bullet and face them head-on...

Volume One: Secrets of the Abyss

Chapter 1 Little Loli

The sky above the abyss is always so gloomy. Beneath the gray sky lies a desolate landscape. As if the earth had been scorched too fiercely by the red moon in the sky, it revealed ravines that seemed to be pleading with the heavens.

If there had been just a little more rain, perhaps the land under the double moon wouldn't be in its current state. The sky remained gray and gloomy, and under the dim moonlight, a petite figure walked listlessly.

It seemed she hadn't eaten for several days. However, judging from the bloodstains on her body, it was possible that the battle had lasted too long and she hadn't rested at all.

She slightly raised her small head and glanced into the distance, where wisps of smoke seemed to be drifting. Her previously droopy eyelids snapped open, and a glint of light seemed to flash in her eyes.

But in the blink of an eye, his brow furrowed slightly as he looked to either side. Slowly, he walked into the nearby bushes. This was the worst place in the Demon Realm. Even the crimson moon seemed devoid of warmth here.

In the desolate air, the little girl trembled slightly and rushed into the bushes without hesitation.

After a long while, when they reached the bushes beside the rising smoke, the girl's eyes lit up. A campfire was burning, and on it, something that looked like a suckling pig was roasting. The little girl knew it was a ground-crawling beast. Originally, it was only a magical beast with a little bit of attack power. At most, it could only breathe poisonous bubbles. But now, she knew it was absolutely impossible for her to defeat it.

He hadn't eaten anything for three days. Besides, he was already injured. Even if he fought head-on, he might have been broken apart by a single collision with the ground-crawling beast. But now, right in front of him was a roasting, juicy ground-crawling beast.

She swallowed hard, looked around, and saw no one else, nor any traps. Suddenly, the little girl rushed out, grabbed the ground monster's hindquarters, and bit down.

A delicate, meaty aroma filled her mouth as she chewed vigorously, and tears welled up in the little girl's large eyes. How long... she couldn't tell how long it had been since she'd tasted anything so delicious.

From the moment he began his life as a homeless person, he had been constantly bullied. Having never had a proper meal before, he now felt a strange sense of homecoming. He took another big bite, forgetting his original intention of crawling away with the roasted meat. Instead, he wiped away his tears and continued gnawing on it.

Drops of oil dripped from her chin, landing on her linen clothes that hadn't been washed in who-knows-how-long. In that instant, she felt a surge of warmth. At that moment, it seemed as if all her previous vigilance had vanished. The rustling sounds around her didn't even register in her ears.

Beside the bushes, a young man who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old quietly watched the little girl frantically gnawing on the foreleg of a ground squirrel. For a moment, he seemed stunned. He couldn't understand why a little girl would appear in such a place.

Only after she had completely gnawed on one of the front legs did the little girl wipe her mouth with her filthy, blackened sleeve. She seemed a little unsatisfied.

The young man smiled, a beautiful curve appearing at the corners of his mouth. "If you're not full, you can continue!"

However, after those words were spoken, the little girl sprang up like a hunting panther. She ran four or five steps to the other side before frowning and looking warily at the young man with her scimitar-like eyebrows.

The young man wasn't particularly handsome, but he had a captivating charm. His features were delicate, though perhaps due to prolonged exposure to this environment, his fair skin appeared somewhat dirty. His black hair, in this world, added to his sinister aura. His eerie black eyes seemed to draw one in.

The young man slowly walked to the campfire, smiled faintly, and poked at the flames: "How did a kid like you get here? To be honest, I don't know why I'm here either. I was living a peaceful life. I never thought I'd end up living in a place like this... Sigh... Speaking of which, what exactly is this place?"

The little girl became even more wary. How could she not know where she came from in the abyss of the demon realm? Besides, this was only the outer perimeter. If she really went inside, that was where she would truly perish.

Why would anyone be so busy eating that they come here for a vacation?

Looking at the little girl's expression, the young man immediately understood that she probably didn't believe him. He sighed again and looked up at the sky. Night must have fallen now. Having been here for almost half a month, he knew this basic common sense.

During the day, two moons, one red and one white, always hang in the sky. Only at night does the red moon slowly descend. And this red moon truly is as scorching as the sun. This land, no matter how hard one tries, remains a mystery—what kind of world is it?

A wild boar that blows bubbles, a raccoon dog that can fly… and just a few days ago, I almost died at the hands of a black panther that breathes fire. If I hadn't escaped quickly, and if that flame that appeared out of nowhere hadn't appeared, I might be a corpse by now.

Even now, thinking back to that fireball that looked like a truck tire still sends shivers down my spine.

This scene, witnessed by the girl, only amplified her surprise.

"You...who are you, and why are you here? The Abyss is a place overrun by monsters. You look like you have no power at all. What are you doing here?" After a long while, the little girl finally spoke.

This delighted the young man, even though a language inexplicably appeared in his head as soon as he arrived. However, he was getting really bored because he couldn't find anyone to talk to.

Looking at the little girl's dirty but doll-like face, and her short, dark green hair, he felt an inexplicable surge of affection. He was about to speak when he paused, then chuckled, "I don't know where this is either. I just woke up here for no reason. Hehe... By the way, my name is Lin Peng. What's yours? And where is this place?"

Lin Peng didn't believe it was Earth; that was absolutely impossible. If such a place existed on Earth, everyone would go crazy!

Moreover, judging from the little girl's strikingly beautiful features, she couldn't possibly be Chinese. He poked at the campfire again and tore open one of the ground-crawling beast's hind legs. To be honest, Lin Peng didn't know this thing was called a ground-crawling beast either.

After handing it to the little girl, a kind and gentle smile appeared again: "Eat it, what's there to be afraid of? I'm not going to eat you!" The hand was still outstretched, but the little girl remained frozen in place.

Her large eyes stared intently at Lin Peng, as if trying to find some flaw. Unfortunately, Lin Peng was too happy to have met someone to do anything strange.

The little girl shivered slightly when the first gust of wind blew. The wind was really cold, with a biting chill.

I was a bit far from the campfire, so I couldn't help but glance at Lin Peng. This kid didn't seem to have anything to be afraid of. He didn't seem to have any strength or special abilities; he should be fine.

Thinking this, the little girl slowly approached the campfire. But she didn't take the roasted hind leg; she just stayed there warming herself by the fire.

Lin Peng, feeling bored, shrugged and continued staring at the campfire. He had been playing games at home, only coming out to buy some food, and now, for no apparent reason, he was here. Frankly, he was quite annoyed.

He also knew that in such a world, power was absolutely essential. For example, in a fighting arena, if you didn't have the corresponding fighting skills and power, then... death would be your only fate.

Just like in a game, if you're not as high-level or as well-equipped as others, then... you're just asking to get crushed! It's the same in real life, only it's a bit more subtle.

I looked up at the white moon in the sky. It was round, and seemed like it would never be crescent-shaped again.

"You really... don't know where this is?" The little girl seemed to have finally made up her mind and said.

This made Lin Peng extremely happy, and he nodded vigorously: "Yes, do you know what this place is?"

The little girl frowned slightly, her delicate, arched eyebrows furrowing as she nodded a little: "This is the Demon Realm. The Abyss of the Demon Realm! Aside from those in the Demon Realm who want to cultivate or test their strength, almost no one comes here! And… even a high-ranking demon wouldn't dare venture too far in!"

what……

Lin Peng's mouth gaped open, staring blankly at the little girl in disbelief. The Demon Realm? In Lin Peng's memory, this term conjured images of incredibly burly races that ate raw meat.

Moreover, it seems that every day is a struggle.

"My name is Elena, and I'm a dark elf!" the little girl said to herself, her eyes fixed on the flames. However, Lin Peng saw a hint of murderous intent and hatred in her eyes.

Looking down into the shoulder-length hair, I finally saw the pointed ears. But the skin still seemed so pale! Aren't dark elves supposed to have dark skin?

Lin Peng shook his head, clearing his mind of these pointless thoughts. He frowned slightly and said, "No wonder! A few days ago I went the wrong way. I went in there and almost died! I even encountered a black panther that could breathe fireballs. Those fireballs were so big, I thought I was going to die!"

As Lin Peng spoke, he gestured as he spoke. However, the little girl was completely stunned! She stared at Lin Peng blankly, as if she had seen a high-ranking demon, filled with doubt and resentment.

Chapter Two: The Devouring of Fire

The Black Flame Leopard—this is a magical beast equivalent to a high-level demon. It seems that its extremely high-temperature flames alone are beyond the reach of ordinary people. Moreover, its tracking of prey is among the best of the best. If this kid doesn't have power, then… how did he escape from the Black Flame Leopard?! In an instant, Elena thought of that forbidden bloodline, like her own. It wouldn't manifest unless one had cultivated it to a high level, and others wouldn't be able to sense it either. At the same time, its power was terrifyingly strong.

"Speaking of which, I don't know what happened, but as soon as I appeared here, my stomach suddenly seemed to mutate. I especially crave spicy food!" Lin Peng realized he had let something slip and quickly came up with an explanation.

As he spoke, he reached into the campfire and grabbed a handful of flames. He then brought it to his mouth. To the little girl's astonishment, the flames vanished into Lin Peng's mouth as if swallowed.

Not only is it immune to fire, it can even devour it. Such an ability seems to be completely new to her. The little girl's beautiful eyes furrowed slightly, as if she were contemplating some powerful and extraordinary force.

"Then how did you escape from the Black Flame Leopard?" Even if flames can't harm someone like that, the Black Flame Leopard's strength and speed alone make it impossible to resist easily.

A high-ranking demon could even contend with the city defense captain of Darkmoon City. If you possess a particularly powerful bloodline, perhaps even the city lord himself would come to find you.

Lin Peng frowned. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened with the leopard. Anyway, after being spewed a breath of fire and consuming it unharmed, it ran for its life. And it was running aimlessly. There seemed to be no sun here, and the two moons in the sky seemed to have no concept of time. In all this time, he only knew the difference between night and dawn, and some general directions.

Of course, he couldn't tell this little girl about the flame burning in his chest. Otherwise, if word got out, he'd really have to say goodbye. Life was tragic, but tragedy also gave birth to a cheerful person like Lin Peng. Otherwise, if an ordinary person went ten days or half a month without anyone speaking to them, they would basically have gone insane.

"Well, how should I put it? Well, it should be like this. At the time, the Black Flame Leopard breathed fire at me, and then suddenly realized that the flames had no effect on me, only burning my clothes. Besides, I ate the flames he breathed on. So, while he was stunned, I ran away!" Lin Peng tried his best to organize his thoughts so that the little girl could understand. Of course, he didn't know why the flames in his chest appeared, or why he understood the flames here.

Even if you really let him go looking, there's nowhere he can find such an answer.

The little girl's brows furrowed even deeper, whether out of disbelief or something else, it was unclear. Lin Peng, on the other hand, suddenly felt a slight stirring within him, as if he had been influenced by something.

This has happened several times in the past few days. Basically, such signs only appear when there is some danger nearby. Of course, it is also thanks to this unknown power that he has been able to survive for so long in the abyss of the demon realm.

"It's dangerous here. Do you know how to get out? I think we should leave immediately!" Lin Peng hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

The little girl was taken aback, wondering why this man, who looked human but had eerily black hair, would say such a thing. However, she immediately seemed to sense something as well. She jumped to her feet and stared silently in one direction.

Then, he asked, "When the red moon appeared today, did it look like it was missing a gap?"

Lin Peng's dark eyes widened slightly in surprise. Then, just as the little girl had said, the crimson moon did indeed have a gap when it rose tonight. This was something that had never happened before.

The white moon here is always so round at night, and at the same time, the red moon, which is like the sun, must also have a gap!

After nodding slightly, the little girl frowned deeply: "We're in trouble now! Get out of this abyss quickly and run towards Darkmoon City!" With that, she ignored Lin Peng and ran off in one direction.

Lin Peng was taken aback, confused. However, the small spark of fire in his chest flickered even more fiercely. Then… danger must be drawing ever closer. So, he turned and followed the little girl, moving with incredible speed.

The little girl was displaying unusual speed for her age, but Lin Peng seemed even faster. In less than a minute, he caught up. He grabbed the little girl's clothes and slung them over his back: "Hold on tight! I'm about to speed up!"

To the little girl's surprise, Lin Peng seemed to increase his speed even more after he picked her up. To be honest, although the little girl was injured, she still had great confidence in her speed. However, she seemed to be completely outpaced by this guy.

Even with the strength of a high-level demon, there's absolutely no way they could move this fast. It seems this guy's talent is extraordinary. Of course, if Lin Peng knew, he'd probably laugh heartily.

This speed isn't even the fastest. That speed was truly fast when we escaped the Black Flame Leopard that day.

The little girl gripped Lin Peng's collar tightly, squinting as she looked behind her. At the same time, Lin Peng seemed to feel a sudden flutter in his heart. While running, he turned his head and glanced back.

Just that one glance nearly made him jump up. The dense thicket seemed to burst open in an instant, and what followed was a swarm of bees emerging like those from a smashed hive.

The place was teeming with magical beasts. Even the ground-dwelling beasts seemed to be nowhere to be seen. Then, a wolf-like magical beast charged towards them at top speed.

"Oh no, the beast tide is coming so fast! Head in this direction, as fast as you can!" The little girl pointed in a direction, her eyes filled with anxiety. She kept glancing back every now and then.

Of course, after glancing back, Lin Peng immediately sped up to 100 miles per hour. That speed was practically his limit on such a mountain road. However, a very close roar sent shivers down his spine. He couldn't help but look back.

At just one glance, Lin Peng's heart seemed to race. It was a black leopard, as big as a calf. And in terms of speed, it was much faster than him. Immediately, the scene from that day flashed through his mind.

As he walked, a black leopard suddenly leaped out of the woods in front of him. Upon seeing him, it gave him a swift, swift smile. Lin Peng bet he had never seen such a human-like beast head in his original world.

Immediately, a fireball the size of a tire shot towards him. After unwittingly swallowing it, he fled for his life while the leopard wasn't paying attention.

Upon seeing the leopard again, Lin Peng quickened his pace once more. Moreover, it was clear that the leopard recognized him as well. Otherwise, it wouldn't have broken away from the herd and risked its life to chase after him alone.

Fortunately, the little girl on his back wasn't very heavy. Carrying her like that, he barely felt any weight. Lin Peng's increased strength was a key factor, but the little girl's own body weight was also an element.

Therefore, under the pursuit of the black panther, Lin Peng could be said to be using 200% of his speed. However, it seems that two legs really can't keep up with four legs. In less than an hour, he gradually began to catch up.

They were only a hundred meters away from Lin Peng. It seemed that a slight acceleration would allow them to catch up immediately.

"My goodness, what did I do to deserve this? If I were to participate in a marathon at my speed, I'd be a sure thing to win." Lin Peng muttered self-deprecatingly, but the little girl didn't understand. This was Lin Peng's way of speaking from his previous world!

However, seeing the leopard getting closer and closer, Lin Peng's heart was pounding in his chest. Ahead lay a circle of strange rocks, resembling a stone forest. He thought to himself, if he was lucky, he could use these rocks to temporarily shake off the leopard's tail. But if he was unlucky, he would be torn apart. He hadn't realized it before, but the leopard's speed was truly impressive.

Last time I escaped from the leopard, it was just that the leopard wasn't paying attention. Or rather, I was just lucky.

He gritted his teeth and glanced back. But what he saw was a massive fireball. Even at such high speed, he could feel the scorching heat behind him. At the same time, the whistling wind added to the fireball's spinning motion.

The little girl turned her head to look, and this startled her quite a bit. Because, perhaps in the blink of an eye, the fireball could touch her back. Unlike Lin Peng, she couldn't absorb flames.

With such high temperatures, she would surely die under this fireball.