Volume One, Chapter Five: Li Yan!

“Did you concoct this medicine?”

Qingyi snapped out of her fright and nodded anxiously, “Yes, I made it!”

Li Yan gave Qingyi a long, penetrating look. Just as he reached for another bottle to examine it, a demon general hurried forward and whispered something in his ear.

Li Yan frowned, put down the bottle, and asked, “How much silver do you want for all these medicines? I’ll take them all.”

Qingyi was stunned. “All… all of them?”

Li Yan tossed a pouch filled with golden leaves onto the stall. “Is this enough?”

Qingyi hurriedly opened the pouch and glanced inside. It was brimming with golden leaves. She instantly clutched the pouch tightly. “It’s enough, but you’re giving too much…”

“Then these are mine,” Li Yan said curtly. Without another word, he gathered all the medicines from the stall, turned, and mounted his horse. “No one is allowed to kill mortals without my permission. Those who disobey will be executed!”

“Yes, Demon Lord!” The demon warriors bowed respectfully.

Li Yan rode off on his black steed.

Qingyi recovered from her shock, hugged the pouch tightly, grabbed the rope around White Night’s neck, and hurriedly ran toward her little courtyard.

Unbeknownst to her, she had already been targeted.

Who wouldn’t be tempted by such a large pouch of money?

Especially in these chaotic times of war.

If one truly had money, who would want to stay in this small town?

Qingyi ran back to her courtyard, trembling with fear. Only after confirming no one was following did she allow herself to relax slightly.

Squatting down, she grabbed White Night’s front paws, shaking them in front of its eyes as she scolded, “Wangcai, why are you so cowardly? You’re my guardian beast. When I’m in danger, shouldn’t you step in front of me?”

White Night rolled its eyes.

That was Demon Lord Li Yan, after all.

Even at his peak, White Night wasn’t sure it could defeat him. Now, heavily wounded, it couldn’t even fight off an ordinary demon!

If it hadn’t concealed its aura in time, Li Yan would have discovered them.

Otherwise, neither of them would have lived to see today’s sunset.

“Alright, I’ll let it slide this time. But if you hide behind me next time danger comes, you’re grounded from eating, got it?” Qingyi admonished softly.

She was counting on Wangcai to guard the house and protect her!

Being so timid was unacceptable.

After some serious thought, Qingyi resolved to create a training plan to build its courage.

White Night was uneasy from being shaken.

It never expected demons to have found this place already.

It seemed they couldn’t stay long here.

If Li Yan caught it, he would surely use its life to threaten Qingqiu into surrendering.

That would mean the complete fall of Qingqiu.

Its kin would be plunged into ruin—a fate it absolutely refused to allow.

---

“But I’m in a good mood today, so you all get to feast!” Qingyi hugged the pouch tightly and bounced back to her small house.

She had already inspected the pouch.

It was packed with golden leaves!

These were more than enough to repair the courtyard walls.

Tomorrow she would hire some masons!

First, she would renovate the courtyard walls.

If time permitted, she’d even replace the windows of the wooden house.

The weather was turning cold; preparations against the chill had to be made, or else they’d freeze this winter!

Those demons looked fierce, but they were actually like gods of wealth!

In the courtyard, Red Luan tilted her head.

“Did you hear? Did our master get into trouble?”

In the little pond, a golden koi poked its head out, blowing a few bubbles. “There is a demonic aura on our master.”

“Demons?” Red Luan flapped her wings with a puzzled expression. “Why would demons from the lower realm appear in such a remote place?”

Xuanling emerged from the water, shaking off droplets. “Maybe passing through, or perhaps searching for something.”

“Searching for something?” Red Luan glared toward White Night.

Their master had never dealt with such chaotic beings!

Thinking carefully, the most likely suspect was that mysterious, foul-tempered fox.

Once again under Red Luan’s watchful gaze, White Night stubbornly turned away in defiance.

It wasn’t for lack of backbone.

It simply couldn’t win.

White Night attributed this to its severe injuries.

Otherwise, as the Fox Emperor, how could it have lost to an old hen?

Red Luan flapped her wings and clucked as she approached White Night. “Why don’t we just toss it out? Better than causing trouble for our master.”

The few remaining fox hairs on White Night bristled.

That was a stress reaction to feeling threatened!

This little chicken spirit dared to bully it repeatedly!

Once healed, the first thing White Night would do was cook this hen into soup!

“This stinky fox dares to glare at me!” Red Luan was about to teach the insolent fox a lesson when Qingyi appeared carrying a basket of golden corn kernels.

Though Qingyi lacked money, she never neglected her pets.

As long as she had food, they would never go thirsty or hungry.

“Time to eat!”

Qingyi scattered the grains on the ground.

---

“Cluck, cluck.” Red Luan shot White Night a glance before pecking at the corn.

White Night stared at the golden kernels.

Were these the essence of the Dao again?

No, these were Dao seeds.

Watching piles of Dao seeds being tossed to the ground and pecked at by that old hen, White Night felt its worldview shatter.

A single Dao seed could forge an unparalleled foundation for an ordinary being!

What kind of person was this woman?

Feeding Dao essence and Dao seeds to chickens?

Such extravagance—no fox of Qingqiu, or anywhere on the continent, could rival this prodigal!

Seeing Wangcai drooling, Qingyi patted its head. “Those aren’t for you. This is yours!”

She held out a large bone.

White Night almost manifested a human form to argue with Qingyi.

But it gave up.

For having been saved by this woman, it would spare her life.

Tonight, it would leave.

White Night had decided to return to Qingqiu.

The demons had entered the city; it was only a matter of time before they found this place.

Staying would only endanger the human.

Though White Night disliked humans, it was not ungrateful.

It owed this woman a debt.

That debt would have to be repaid another day.

...

With demons entering the city, the townsfolk of Peach Blossom Town were gripped by fear.

The once-bustling streets were eerily quiet.

Occasional passersby hurried along, unwilling to linger.

“Demon Lord, we have already sealed off a hundred-mile radius. White Night cannot escape!”

Li Yan wiped his demonic sword and curled his lips into a fox-like smile. “No need. I already know where it is.”

The two demon warriors kneeling below exchanged surprised glances.

The Demon Lord had located White Night?

“Demon Lord, where is White Night? I will capture it immediately!”

Li Yan waved his hand, the sword singing as it slid back into its sheath. “No need. You may leave.”