Volume One, Chapter 8: Little Li!

The moment Qingyi left, Li Yan opened his eyes again.

It was different from before. His complexion was no longer as deathly pale as it had been, and a rare, healthy flush had returned to his chiseled features. What shocked Li Yan even more was that the curse within his body had weakened slightly.

How on earth did she manage that?

From the very beginning, he had not sensed even a shred of spiritual power from this woman.

He lifted his head and looked toward the doorway. Out in the small courtyard, Qingyi had gathered a dose of tonic, preparing to brew it for the man. She was usually reluctant to drink such precious herbs herself, but she believed in saving a life to the end. It was all she could do; if the man could survive the night, his life would at least be spared.

She busied herself until late. After personally feeding the man the tonic, she collapsed onto the table and fell into a deep sleep. Li Yan waved his hand gently, and Qingyi drifted into an even deeper slumber.

In the courtyard, Bai Ziye transformed into his human form.

"Li Yan!"

Li Yan stood with his hands behind his back, watching Bai Ziye with a cryptic smile. "I thought you would have fled by now."

Bai Ziye stood as if facing a formidable enemy. "Even if you kill me, my Qingqiu clan will never submit to your Demon Realm!"

Li Yan’s smile turned wicked. "If I had wanted to kill you, you would have been a corpse back on the street."

Bai Ziye’s pupils constricted. He knew Li Yan’s cultivation was terrifying, but he realized he had still underestimated the man before him.

"Then what exactly do you want?"

Bai Ziye did not trust him. Countless beings had perished at Li Yan’s hands, and the Demon Realm had been eyeing Qingqiu for years. Based on what he knew of Li Yan, he would never give up until he achieved his goal.

Li Yan looked toward the wooden hut. He certainly wouldn't abandon his designs on Qingqiu, but he was far too proud to use mere threats to force them into submission.

Seeing Li Yan’s expression, Bai Ziye’s gaze sharpened. Could it be that Li Yan appeared here because of that woman?

"She is just a mortal!" Bai Ziye said coldly.

"Oh?" Li Yan curled his lips and withdrew his gaze. "It is common knowledge that the Fox Emperor of Qingqiu despises humans. Are you worried about the life of a human now?"

The two locked eyes. Bai Ziye wanted to strike several times but forced himself to hold back. He knew that even at his peak, he was no match for Li Yan. Attacking now would be nothing short of suicide, and it might even implicate the woman.

Li Yan’s gaze dropped to the collar around Bai Ziye’s neck, his expression mocking. "That collar suits you well."

"Li Yan!" Veins popped on Bai Ziye’s forehead; he nearly threw his life away at the scoundrel.

"Want to fight to the death?" Li Yan chuckled. "Too bad, you aren't qualified."

Bai Ziye clenched his fists.

"You should be grateful that I don't want to kill you yet," Li Yan chuckled, cast a final glance at Bai Ziye, and vanished.

Bai Ziye’s tense nerves relaxed slightly, but the nauseating scent of the Demon Realm remained, indicating that Li Yan had not truly left. What was he planning?

"That demon entered again!" Hongluan was uneasy. Their mistress was still asleep inside! The demon was clearly hiding his identity, obviously trying to get close to their mistress.

"Mistress will be fine," Xuanling always spoke at a leisurely pace; even if the sky were falling, he would not be nervous.

Hongluan rolled her eyes at Xuanling. This little courtyard was becoming more and more chaotic! First, a stinky fox arrived, and now a demon! Could one of them truly be their mistress’s fated love trial?

"Do you see something?" Hongluan asked suspiciously.

Xuanling smiled faintly without explanation, turned back into a small silver turtle, and crawled slowly toward the pond.

"Bastard, always playing mysterious!" Hongluan grumbled. In her view, neither the fox nor the demon had pure intentions. Could they really just turn a blind eye?

The next day, Qingyi woke up with a start. She had had a long, vivid dream where she possessed world-shaking power, capable of wiping out an army of a million gods and demons with a wave of her hand.

"Ha!" Qingyi swung her palm. The room remained silent; nothing happened. She curled her lips. It was just a dream after all.

Suddenly remembering the man she had saved, she turned to look. The bed was empty. He was gone?

Qingyi looked around, then heard movement outside. Was he out there? She hurried to open the door.

In the courtyard, Li Yan was chopping firewood, his upper body bare. A mountain of wood had already piled up. Seeing Qingyi emerge, Li Yan put down his axe and wiped the sweat from his face. "Miss, you're awake!"

"You, you..." Qingyi stared at him, momentarily forgetting what to say.

Li Yan approached her. "Thank you for saving my life, Miss!"

"No, no need to thank me!" Qingyi waved her hands repeatedly. It had been pure luck; saving him was entirely accidental.

"If you could let me stay for a few days, I promise to leave as soon as I recover," Li Yan coughed a few times, his face turning pale again.

Bai Ziye, huddled in the corner, nearly popped his eyes out. The mighty Demon Lord of the Demon Realm was acting pitiful here? How shameless!

Qingyi hesitated. She had been desperate to save a life last night, so she hadn't thought about the consequences. But now that he was awake, if the people in town saw him, her reputation would be ruined.

"I won't stay for free! I can do many things."

Qingyi blinked. "You... what can you do?"

Li Yan thought for a moment. "I can chop wood, carry water, hunt, and—oh, I can train dogs too!"

Bai Ziye: "???"

"Really?" Qingyi’s eyes sparkled. The first few tasks weren't that important, but the last one caught her interest. Wangcai was too timid! She had been counting on it to protect her in the future. If it could be trained, that would be a good thing!

Li Yan glanced at Bai Ziye. "Of course, it's true!"

"Woo!" (Don't agree to it!) Bai Ziye was so anxious he almost spoke in human tongue. This bastard had no good intentions! If he really stayed, there would be no peace for him.

Qingyi heard the noise.

"Miss, look, it agreed!"

Bai Ziye froze. When did he agree? He didn't even know!

Li Yan smiled. He knew Bai Ziye dared not speak, so he was forced to swallow this bitter pill.

Qingyi didn't think the man looked like a bad person, and the poison in his body wasn't fully cleared yet. She would let him stay for a few more days until he was fully recovered.

"Alright then!"

Hearing her agreement, a smile spread across Li Yan’s chiseled face. Qingyi looked at him; vaguely, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if they had met somewhere before.

"By the way, what is your name?"

"I should be older than you; you can call me Brother Xiao Li!"