Category: I Am the Female Lead’s Cat

Chapter 11: Disorientation

Lü Qingyan jumped to her feet, her voice filled with indignation. “That counts?”

Bai Jingxue slowly retracted her claws, her emerald eyes twinkling with amusement. “What do you think?”

Lü Qingyan, momentarily mesmerized, found herself nodding. “I guess so,” she conceded.

But she couldn’t imagine Luo Nianshang’s reaction if she were to receive the inheritance. It would be hilarious.

The idea of the stoic, aloof female lead practicing dual cultivation techniques was simply too absurd.

Bai Jingxue settled beside Luo Nianshang, observing her closely. Her face was flushed, her skin radiating an unnatural heat.

The spiritual energy surrounding her was chaotic and unstable. Bai Jingxue couldn’t help but worry.

Lü Qingyan, never one to filter her thoughts, sat beside Bai Jingxue, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. “They look like they’ve been drugged!” she exclaimed.

Bai Jingxue shot her a withering glance and shook her head.

She tried to recall the relevant passage from the novel, but all that came to mind was a barrage of steamy imagery. She grimaced, pushing those thoughts away.

As she stewed in her frustration, the color returned to Luo Nianshang and the Demon Lord’s faces. Their breathing evened out, but the air grew thick with a palpable sense of anger.

Suddenly, their eyes snapped open. They stared at each other for a moment, then scrambled to their feet, putting as much distance between them as possible.

Luo Nianshang’s ears were bright red, but the temperature in the chamber plummeted as her anger intensified. Frost crept across the walls.

The Demon Lord clutched her chest, gagging, but she had long since surpassed the need for food. There was nothing to expel.

The cat and dog, caught in the crossfire, exchanged confused looks.

What on earth had happened?

Luo Nianshang, seeing the Demon Lord’s distress, gripped her sword, her knuckles white. Her rage unleashed a blizzard within the chamber, icy winds swirling around them.

Bai Jingxue dug her claws into the ground to avoid being swept away. Lü Qingyan, however, wasn’t so lucky.

Unable to bear it, Bai Jingxue extended a paw, hooking it onto Lü Qingyan’s collar. She was grateful for her enhanced strength. Otherwise, her paw would have been ripped off.

The Demon Lord, ignoring the chaos, continued to gag, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Seeing Luo Nianshang’s fury brought a perverse sense of satisfaction.

The icy winds whipped at her clothes, clinging to her body, revealing her curves. The sight of Luo Nianshang’s anger only fueled her amusement.

“It was just a dream, Venerable One,” she chuckled. “Surely, you’re not going to hold me accountable for that?”

A gust of wind, sharp as a blade, sliced through the air, severing a lock of the Demon Lord’s hair. The black strands landed on the frost-covered ground, then scattered in the wind.

The Demon Lord wiped at the cut on her cheek, her laughter fading. She stared at Luo Nianshang’s flushed ears, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Finally, the blizzard subsided. The cat and dog settled down, their black and white fur a stark contrast against the snow-covered ground.

Lü Qingyan, her concern outweighing her bewilderment, inspected Bai Jingxue’s paw. “Are you hurt?” she asked anxiously. “Does it hurt?”

Bai Jingxue tucked her paws beneath her body, her voice flat. “I’m fine.”

Lü Qingyan didn’t believe her. She knew Bai Jingxue well enough to recognize her stubborn refusal to admit weakness.

Before she could press further, the Demon Lord scooped her up and, in a blink, they were airborne.

The secret realm was collapsing. The Demon Lord was fleeing, her parting words echoing in their ears.

“Until next time, Venerable One. Don’t forget about me!”

Bai Jingxue stared at Luo Nianshang, her eyes narrowed. She was dying to know what had happened, but it was clear that the two women were now even more at odds.

Perhaps it was for the best. It would make it harder for Lü Qingyan to pester her.

She was suddenly lifted into the air, enveloped in a cool embrace.

“I’m sorry,” Luo Nianshang said, her voice filled with remorse. “I almost got you killed.”

Bai Jingxue meowed, but her words were lost on Luo Nianshang.

Luo Nianshang patted her head and flew towards the designated meeting point.

But they were too late. The exit had been sealed by a chaotic surge of spiritual energy. The disciples, recognizing the danger, had resigned themselves to their fate.

But when they saw a white figure approaching from the sky, a flicker of hope ignited in their eyes.

“Ancestor!”

“Ancestor, the secret realm is collapsing!”

Luo Nianshang surveyed the chaotic scene. Without the inheritance, the laws governing this pocket dimension were unraveling.

Bai Jingxue peeked out from Luo Nianshang’s arms, studying her expression.

Something was off. Luo Nianshang was still angry.

As if to confirm her suspicions, Luo Nianshang raised her sword, cleaving the collapsing secret realm in two. The space around them shattered, dissolving into dust.

The remnants of the secret realm crumbled away, revealing the desolate landscape beyond. Standing amidst the ruins, her robes billowing in the wind, was the Demon Lord.

She stood before a group of demon cultivators, her gaze fixed on Luo Nianshang.

Lü Qingyan, spotting the black cat in Luo Nianshang’s arms, struggled to break free from the Demon Lord’s grasp, but her efforts were futile.

Luo Nianshang, having vented her anger with that single, devastating strike, regarded the Demon Lord with a cold, calculating gaze.

Ignoring her disciples, she vanished.

The moment they returned to her chamber, Luo Nianshang collapsed, a trickle of blood, tinged with black, staining her lips.

Bai Jingxue, horrified, scrambled out from beneath her, meowing frantically.

Luo Nianshang wiped the blood away, her movements shaky as she struggled to her feet. “I’m sorry,” she said, forcing a smile. “Did I crush you?”

Bai Jingxue shook her head. Luo Nianshang had shielded her during their fall. She was unharmed.

She needed to know what had happened. Luo Nianshang hadn’t been injured in the secret realm. Could it have been the dream?

What had she seen?

Luo Nianshang massaged her temples, a wave of exhaustion washing over her. It had been so long, she had thought her inner demons were gone.

She let out a bitter laugh. “A fateful encounter,” she murmured, her voice laced with irony.

Back in the Demon Palace, the Demon Lord had locked herself and the dog in her chamber.

Lü Qingyan paced by the door, ready to bolt the moment it opened.

But the Demon Lord was acting strangely. She had always been prone to smiling, but those smiles had been a facade, a mask concealing her true emotions. Now, however, she sat before her mirror, brushing her hair, a genuine smile gracing her lips.

She seemed almost giddy.

Each time the Demon Lord smiled, Lü Qingyan flinched. She observed her owner cautiously, her instincts screaming that something was wrong.

Fear gnawed at her. She retreated to her bed.

Behind her luxurious dog bed stood a jade cabinet, its shelves adorned with trinkets. A small portrait hung on the wall above it.

The Demon Lord propped her chin on her hand, her gaze fixed on the portrait.

Lü Qingyan, eager to escape her owner’s line of sight, crept towards the other side of the room.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she glanced at the portrait. She gasped, covering her mouth with a paw.

The woman in the portrait looked exactly like Luo Nianshang.

Lü Qingyan’s mind reeled. She was starting to think she wasn’t smart enough to handle this situation. She decided to file this information away and ask Bai Jingxue to analyze it later.

The Demon Lord stared at the portrait, her smile fading as her giddiness subsided. A sense of emptiness washed over her, as if a part of her had been hollowed out.

Her gaze darted around the room, searching for the dog. Spotting Lü Qingyan cowering beneath the bed, she smiled again.

Lü Qingyan, feeling her gaze upon her, scrambled further under the bed, only to be yanked out, her yelps echoing through the chamber.

The Demon Lord stared at the struggling dog in her arms, her expression a mixture of sadness and self-pity. “Am I that repulsive?” she murmured.

She seemed fragile, like a broken doll.

Lü Qingyan stopped struggling, letting out a soft whimper. “What’s wrong?” she seemed to ask.

***

Back in Luo Nianshang’s chamber, the scent of blood had been cleansed with a purifying spell. Luo Nianshang stroked the cat’s head, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Unable to focus on her cultivation, she played with the cat for a while, then realized that her feline companion was rather aloof, content to observe her from the safety of the futon.

No matter how much she tried to engage her, the cat remained unresponsive, occasionally even shooting her a disdainful look.

Luo Nianshang chuckled, feeling a bit dejected. She scooped up the cat and resumed her petting session.

She coughed, a harsh, grating sound.

Bai Jingxue recoiled, repulsed by the scent that filled the air. She leaped from Luo Nianshang’s lap, her eyes wide with concern.

Luo Nianshang covered her face with a hand, then thought better of it. The cat wouldn’t be frightened. She lowered her hand.

Bai Jingxue’s pupils constricted. Luo Nianshang’s appearance was truly horrifying.

Her beautiful, ethereal face was covered in a network of red veins, like a spiderweb etched into her skin. Her eyes were wide, the whites stained black, as if a statue of a deity had been defiled with blood.

Luo Nianshang sat in meditation, her breathing slow and deep. Gradually, the redness faded from her face, her features returning to normal.

She opened her eyes and apologized, her voice strained. “I’m sorry,” she said, forcing a smile. “It’s not a pleasant sight.”

Bai Jingxue padded over and rubbed her head against Luo Nianshang’s knee, then leaped onto her lap and meowed softly.

“Are you comforting me?” Luo Nianshang asked, her voice filled with wonder.

“Meow.”

“Thank you.”

Luo Nianshang shook her head, her gaze drifting around the empty chamber.

She remembered the Demon Lord’s words, spoken in a moment of frustration.

No matter how powerful she was, she couldn’t save everyone.

Doubt, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in years, crept into her heart. And once again, there was no one to offer guidance or reassurance. But she had a cat, a silent companion who wouldn’t judge her.

“Meow?”

Luo Nianshang snapped out of her thoughts, forcing a smile. She wasn’t sure if she was addressing the cat or herself. “Do you think all demon cultivators are inherently evil?”

“Meow?”

What was wrong with the female lead? Why was she pondering such things?

Bai Jingxue didn’t understand.

But based on the limited information from the novel, she knew that not all demon cultivators were villains, and not all righteous cultivators were saints.

The male lead, despite his protagonist status, was a perfect example of this. He was a truly despicable person.

Some things were just too complex to categorize.

Chapter 10: Illusions

He had been running for what felt like an eternity, his mind reeling. Nothing was going according to plan.

He had been reborn. Surely, fate wouldn’t grant him a second chance only to torment him further.

Dizziness, brought on by blood loss, overwhelmed him, and he collapsed. A gentle breeze, like an unseen hand, cushioned his fall. A voice, unfamiliar and ethereal, drifted through the air.

“Strange,” it murmured, as if to itself. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

The voice unwrapped the bandages from his face, revealing the crisscrossing wounds beneath. As the fabric fell away, the wounds began to bleed again.

The voice seemed amused by this development. It waved a hand, healing the wounds on his face, but neglecting his severed left arm.

Whether this was intentional or not, the male lead remained unaware. When he regained consciousness, he found himself lying on a stone platform inscribed with intricate runes. Before he could examine it further, the ground shook, and the platform crumbled beneath him, sending him tumbling into the darkness below.

He landed hard, the impact jarring his spine. He knew instantly that his back was broken. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

The dimly lit chamber was suddenly illuminated by flickering candlelight, revealing a series of portraits lining the walls. They weren’t images of deities or revered figures. They seemed to depict the same person, over and over again.

Unable to stand, the male lead used his hands to prop himself up, his gaze drawn to the far end of the chamber.

There, on a platform of cold jade, sat a skeleton, its bones gleaming in the candlelight. Time had ravaged its clothing, reducing it to dust.

The male lead’s eyes were drawn to a string of jade beads adorning the skeleton’s wrist. Greed flickered in his gaze.

He had seen those beads before, in his past life, on Luo Nianshang’s wrist. Someone of her stature wouldn’t wear anything useless.

Desire outweighed the pain wracking his body. He dragged himself forward, his expression growing more desperate with each movement. Finally, he reached the skeleton.

He looked up, meeting the empty gaze of the skull.

A shiver of fear ran down his spine. The skull had been facing forward before. Now, it was tilted downwards, as if staring directly at him.

But it was just a corpse. He had taken plenty from the dead before.

Perhaps his movements had shifted the skull’s position.

His fear subsided, and he reached for the beads, but he couldn’t quite reach them. He strained, his fingers brushing against the jade, but he couldn’t get a proper grip.

His fingers found a gap between the beads, and he yanked, ignoring the potential damage to the skeleton.

He grinned triumphantly, slipping the beads onto his wrist.

A searing pain shot through his head.

“Hahaha, how amusing. You writhe like a pathetic worm.”

Pain, both physical and mental, overwhelmed him. He would have fainted, but he found himself trapped in a state of agonizing awareness.

He looked up to see the skeleton had shifted position again. Its bony fingers cradled its skull as it watched him writhe on the ground.

The male lead’s suffering seemed to amuse it. It rose from its platform, stretching its limbs with a series of bone-crunching pops. “I can’t believe fate chose you,” it said, its voice filled with disdain. “I waited for so long, only to be saddled with a worthless wretch!”

The word “worthless” stung, but the male lead was too preoccupied with his own agony to retaliate.

“Hmm, that’s not right,” the skeleton murmured. “Your aura of destiny is fading.”

It circled the male lead, its movements accompanied by a chorus of unsettling clicks and pops.

As it leaned in, its bony fingers tracing the male lead’s fading aura, the male lead grabbed its leg, his eyes filled with hatred.

The skeleton was unimpressed. It was about to remove the male lead’s head and put it back on backwards when the sound of barking and meowing echoed through the chamber.

After a rather lengthy freefall, Lü Qingyan landed squarely on Bai Jingxue’s back.

Bai Jingxue gasped for air, struggling to free herself from the weight crushing her. “Get off me!” she hissed.

Lü Qingyan, startled, scrambled to her feet, her voice filled with concern. “I’m so sorry! Are you alright? Did I hurt you?”

Bai Jingxue, her head spinning, opted for silence.

This entire descent had been rather illogical. The Demon Lord and Luo Nianshang were significantly heavier than them, yet they hadn’t fallen through.

As if on cue, a loud thud echoed through the chamber, followed by a yelp from the Demon Lord and Luo Nianshang’s calm, yet slightly strained, voice. “Would you mind getting off me?”

They looked up to see the Demon Lord sprawled in Luo Nianshang’s arms, looking strangely delicate.

The Demon Lord scrambled to her feet, brushing at her clothes as if she had been contaminated by something foul.

“You need to eat more,” she grumbled. “Your ribs are like knives.”

Luo Nianshang discreetly poked at her ribs, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

The Demon Lord, ignoring her, grabbed her dog and then noticed the male lead, sprawled on the ground in a pathetic heap, and the skeleton observing them with amusement.

She had seen plenty of skeletons in her lifetime, even the animated variety. This one didn’t faze her. The male lead, however, was far more intriguing.

She studied him for a moment, then raised her foot, aiming for his neck.

In a flash, he vanished.

Bai Jingxue frowned. The male lead might not be a physical threat anymore, but his ability to evade danger was truly remarkable. The original plot might not be set in stone, but his plot armor was definitely intact.

Suddenly, she was lifted into the air. Finding herself face-to-face with a grinning skull was rather disconcerting.

She braced herself for a lecture, but the skeleton simply set her down and returned to its platform, where it proceeded to stare at the remaining occupants of the chamber, its bony fingers scratching its skull.

“Am I still dreaming?” it muttered. “Why do a cat and a dog have such…”

It trailed off, but even without eyes, Bai Jingxue could sense its bewilderment.

With a sigh, the skeleton slumped back onto its platform. Its bones rattled, then crumbled into dust, scattering in the wind.

The events unfolded so quickly that everyone was left reeling.

“This isn’t good,” Bai Jingxue thought, rushing over to cover Lü Qingyan’s nose.

As expected, both Luo Nianshang and the Demon Lord collapsed.

This chamber clearly had some kind of hidden mechanism. It might not be fatal, but it could induce sleep.

Bai Jingxue recalled Luo Nianshang’s pre-journey divination, which had predicted a romantic entanglement. She wondered who the female lead’s dream lover would be.

She felt a tug on her tail and turned to see Lü Qingyan staring at her, her eyes pleading.

Knowing she had something to say, Bai Jingxue freed her tail from the dog’s grasp. “What is it?” she asked, her voice flat.

Lü Qingyan, relieved that Bai Jingxue was willing to speak, wagged her tail and settled beside her. But her joy was short-lived.

“This doesn’t make sense,” she sighed. “In the original story, the male lead obtained the inheritance without any trouble. He wasn’t this pathetic.”

Bai Jingxue glanced at the sleeping figures of Luo Nianshang and the Demon Lord. Even in their unconscious state, their brows were furrowed, their fists clenched. They were clearly on edge.

Having spent so much time with Lü Qingyan, Bai Jingxue could read her like an open book.

“Are you afraid of the unknown?” she asked.

Lü Qingyan shook her head. She met Bai Jingxue’s emerald gaze. She had always admired Bai Jingxue’s strength, her ability to remain calm even in the face of adversity.

Pushing aside her anxieties, Lü Qingyan embraced her usual optimism. Melancholy was a fleeting emotion.

She was preoccupied with a more fundamental question: who was she? Was she a dog with Lü Qingyan’s memories, or was she truly Lü Qingyan?

And was this world truly the world of the novel? If not, what did it mean for their future?

Bai Jingxue, unaccustomed to seeing her so subdued, missed the carefree, cheerful Lü Qingyan.

She looked away, her voice soft but firm. “Does it really matter?” she asked. “Just live the life you want to live.”

She glanced at the sleeping Luo Nianshang, her words carrying a hidden meaning. “Make sure those who are good and noble remain that way.”

“If you’re unsure about the future, then use your own eyes to see the truth. The answers will reveal themselves.”

Lü Qingyan seemed to take her words to heart. Her tail resumed its happy wagging, and her eyes sparkled with renewed enthusiasm. “I bet the Demon Lord will get the inheritance,” she declared.

Bai Jingxue agreed. The dual cultivation manual was definitely more suited to the Demon Lord. Luo Nianshang was far too detached from such desires.

But she was currently Luo Nianshang’s pet, and she felt obligated to support her. “I think it’ll be the female lead,” she countered.

Their disagreements were nothing new. In their past life, Bai Jingxue had been a homebody, content to spend her free time indoors. Lü Qingyan, on the other hand, had loved outdoor activities.

They had settled their differences with a simple game: rock, paper, scissors.

Unfortunately for Bai Jingxue, she had terrible luck. She always lost, forcing her, a reluctant participant, to endure morning jogs and grueling gym sessions. She had even developed muscles.

The memory brought a bittersweet smile to her face. The pain of those workouts had long faded.

Her mood lifted, she felt playful. She held up a paw, her claws extended. “Want to bet on it?”

Lü Qingyan, eager to play, extended a paw. “Let’s do it!”

Bai Jingxue’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “One, two, three…”

Lü Qingyan realized a moment too late that a dog’s paw could only form the “paper” hand gesture. But she assumed the cat would be limited as well.

To her surprise, Bai Jingxue’s paws, crossed at the wrists, formed a perfect “scissors.”

The black cat grinned. “I win.”

Chapter 9: Sword Wound

After hearing Bai Jingxue’s words, Lü Qingyan fell silent, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, the battle below had ended. The slug demon’s remains had dissolved into the rain, indistinguishable from the puddles forming on the ground. Scattered around the area were the undigested remains of its victims.

Among the animal carcasses were human bones. Fu Yuan closed her eyes and chanted a sutra, guiding the souls of the deceased towards peace.

When she turned to check on the male lead, he was gone. She frowned, but decided not to dwell on it.

She sheathed her sword and sensed something approaching from above. Instinctively, she reached out, and a black cat landed gracefully in her arms.

Fu Yuan recognized the cat as her ancestor’s companion. Out of respect, she decided to take the cat with her.

Another gust of wind brushed past her, and she felt something land on her head. She flinched, swatting at it, only to find a fluffy white dog clinging to her hair.

She stared at it, her brow furrowed. It looked exactly like the Demon Lord’s pet. She wanted to toss it aside, but it was just too adorable.

After a moment of deliberation, she decided to take both the cat and the dog with her. The Demon Lord was one thing, her pet another.

As a cultivator of the righteous path, she had to be reasonable. She couldn’t stoop to the level of those savage demon cultivators.

And so, Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan ended up perched on Fu Yuan’s shoulders, one on each side. The woman had surprisingly broad shoulders.

Bai Jingxue glanced at Lü Qingyan. “Have you figured it out yet?” she asked with her eyes.

She had wanted Lü Qingyan to follow her. This secret realm was dangerous. The slug demon had been a minor threat compared to what else lurked within. If Lü Qingyan wandered off alone, who knew what would become of her.

Traveling with Fu Yuan was the safest option.

Lü Qingyan tilted her head. “Figure what out?” she asked.

Bai Jingxue narrowed her eyes and turned away, refusing to engage.

There was no point in wasting her breath. She wondered where Luo Nianshang and the Demon Lord were.

She hoped they weren’t together. Their personalities clashed, and their powers were too evenly matched. If they fought, it would only hinder their chances of escaping this place.

Of course, the universe seemed determined to test her patience. On the other side of the secret realm, the Demon Lord and Luo Nianshang were indeed having a rather heated discussion.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a discussion. It was more like a one-sided rant from the Demon Lord.

“Luo Nianshang, you infuriating woman!” she fumed. “You’ve lived for thousands of years, yet you can’t even recognize a blatant trap? You just had to play the hero! Do you really think you can save everyone? Get over yourself!”

Luo Nianshang, knowing she had been reckless, remained silent, her gaze downcast.

As they had flown over a swamp, she had spotted a baby lying in the mud. The umbilical cord had been freshly cut, and the child was naked, without even a blanket to protect it from the elements.

There wasn’t a soul in sight, not even a ghost. It was a clear trap.

But the bait was a real, living child. Luo Nianshang couldn’t ignore it. She had descended to rescue the infant, only to be nearly swallowed by a monstrous fish demon lurking beneath the murky water.

The fish demon hadn’t been a threat to Luo Nianshang, but the stench of the swamp had lingered on her clothes.

The child in her arms had fallen asleep, its small face flushed, occasionally letting out a whimper. It was a pitiful sight.

The Demon Lord stared at the infant, her anger fading. She chided herself for worrying.

This was Luo Nianshang, the woman who had single-handedly slain two Demon Lords.

But now, it was Qiu Yingxi who sat upon the throne of the Demon Realm.

She glanced at Luo Nianshang’s sword. Even sheathed, it radiated a chilling aura. She wondered if it would be painful to die by that blade.

Her anger dissipated entirely. The truth was, she hadn’t been concerned for Luo Nianshang’s safety. She had been furious because the fish demon had splashed mud all over her.

The Demon Lord was meticulous about her appearance. Even after cleansing herself with a purifying spell, she still felt a phantom stench clinging to her clothes.

She knew it was irrational, but she couldn’t help it. She began to unbutton her robes.

Then, she paused, sensing a gaze upon her.

She looked up, meeting Luo Nianshang’s clear, unwavering eyes. After a moment of silence, she chuckled. “Are you that interested in my body, Venerable One?”

Luo Nianshang turned away, her voice stiff. “That wound on your chest… it looks like it was caused by my sword.”

The Demon Lord’s eyes widened. She glanced down at the faint scar on her chest and let out a bitter laugh. “If you’re willing to take credit for it, Venerable One, perhaps you’ll allow me to return the favor.”

Luo Nianshang frowned. She had no recollection of ever injuring the Demon Lord. The fact that someone could so perfectly mimic her sword energy was unsettling.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said coldly.

The Demon Lord couldn’t reveal the truth. It would expose her weakness. Her cultivation method was unique, but it came with limitations.

If those limitations were discovered, she wouldn’t survive.

Especially not with Luo Nianshang, the champion of the righteous path, a woman known for her ruthlessness, standing before her.

The Demon Lord tossed her discarded robes aside and donned a fresh set.

At their level of cultivation, such precautions were usually unnecessary. But this secret realm was unpredictable. There could be hidden dangers, fatal traps that could cripple even the most powerful cultivator.

She wondered how her disciples were faring.

They had left the swamp behind and arrived at a field carpeted in forget-me-nots.

The Demon Lord plucked a flower, crushing it between her fingers, its blue petals staining her skin.

She sauntered over to Luo Nianshang, her gaze falling upon the sleeping infant. “You certainly have a way with people, Venerable One,” she said, her voice laced with mockery. “Not only do you charm the righteous cultivators, but even animals and infants fall prey to your manipulative ways.”

As if to prove a point, she snatched the child from Luo Nianshang’s arms. The moment she did, the infant began to wail, its face turning as red as a beetroot.

She hastily returned the child, scoffing. “What a crybaby,” she muttered.

Luo Nianshang, sensing her frustration, decided to try a different approach. “You’re actually quite pleasant,” she said.

The words were unexpected, delivered without preamble.

The Demon Lord raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” she asked, her voice skeptical. “And what, pray tell, makes me so pleasant?”

Luo Nianshang faltered. She wasn’t sure how to answer.

“Kind?” No, that didn’t fit. The Demon Lord had a penchant for smiling while inflicting pain.

“Compassionate?” Same issue. Definitely not.

“Generous?” The woman was notoriously vindictive. If someone stole a foot of fabric from her, she would retaliate by taking three feet and hanging them upside down for good measure.

“Beautiful?”

Luo Nianshang turned, her gaze sweeping over the Demon Lord from head to toe. Finally, she nodded. “You’re beautiful.”

The Demon Lord, surprised by the unexpected compliment, knew she was beautiful. But coming from Luo Nianshang, it felt like an insult.

After all, Luo Nianshang was the one who possessed an ethereal, almost otherworldly beauty.

The Demon Lord’s lips twitched. “How predictable,” she sneered. “Even you, Venerable One, are susceptible to such shallow observations.”

Luo Nianshang didn’t respond. She sensed her cat nearby.

A moment later, Fu Yuan arrived, the cat and dog in tow.

Seeing that the Demon Lord was unharmed, Lü Qingyan leaped down, her tail wagging furiously as she settled beside her.

The Demon Lord, pleased that her dog had chosen her first, felt a surge of smug satisfaction. She had won this round.

Bai Jingxue, however, sauntered back to Luo Nianshang and resumed her leisurely grooming session.

Luo Nianshang, observing the cat’s lack of enthusiasm, couldn’t help but envy the Demon Lord.

“It must be me,” she thought sadly. “The cat doesn’t like me enough.”

Bai Jingxue, mid-lick, felt a shiver of apprehension.

Fu Yuan bowed respectfully. “Ancestor.”

Luo Nianshang nodded and handed her the infant. “If you cannot find its parents,” she instructed, “take it in as your disciple.”

Fu Yuan cradled the child, her movements stiff with anxiety. She didn’t want to hurt the delicate infant.

“Yes, Ancestor.”

The child’s features seemed familiar, reminding her of someone. She dismissed the thought, attributing it to exhaustion.

As she recounted the events of her journey, her thoughts returned to the mortal she had rescued from the slug demon.

There was something strange about him. She emphasized this detail in her report.

Luo Nianshang and the Demon Lord exchanged a knowing glance.

Fate, it seemed, had a twisted sense of humor. “Well, well,” the Demon Lord purred, her smile not reaching her eyes. “The little rat followed us.”

The secret realm was no longer a priority. Luo Nianshang handed Fu Yuan a jade pendant. “This contains three strikes of my sword energy,” she said. “Gather the disciples and meet me at the location where you encountered the slug demon.”

She scooped up the grooming cat and flew towards the designated spot.

The Demon Lord, unwilling to be outdone, followed close behind.

Lü Qingyan, momentarily forgotten, stared after them, then bolted after them, barking frantically.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

The Demon Lord, realizing her oversight, doubled back and scooped up the dog.

By the time they arrived, the male lead was long gone.

Luo Nianshang sighed. “We’ve lost him.”

Bai Jingxue’s heart sank. It seemed the male lead was indeed favored by fate.

She hoped this world wouldn’t descend into the chaos of the original story.

The Demon Lord surveyed the area, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “How repulsive,” she muttered, perching on a branch.

Suddenly, the entire secret realm began to shake. The Demon Lord leaped into the air, her eyes narrowed.

After what felt like an eternity, the tremors subsided.

But the message was clear.

The Demon Lord looked towards the west, where the setting sun was inexplicably rising again.

She patted the dog’s head, a sly smile spreading across her face. “It seems the true prize has revealed itself,” she purred.

Luo Nianshang remained silent, her gaze fixed on the crimson sun.

Except, it wasn’t the sun.

Bai Jingxue knew exactly what it was. It was a human eye. Someone had reached the heart of the secret realm.

And the secret realm had awakened.

Luo Nianshang shot towards the west, a streak of silver against the crimson sky.

“That old woman is surprisingly quick,” the Demon Lord muttered, annoyed at being outmaneuvered.

With a burst of speed, she caught up to Luo Nianshang, a smug grin on her face.

The cat and dog exchanged a weary look.

“I don’t think those two will ever get along,” Lü Qingyan sighed.

This time, Bai Jingxue didn’t turn away. She nodded in agreement.

Chapter 8: Realizations

Bai Jingxue gleaned a crucial piece of information from the male lead’s ramblings: Luo Nianshang would be able to escape this secret realm even without his interference. If that were the case, there was no need to worry.

The rain continued to fall, and the male lead began to feel a burning itch where the raindrops touched his skin. The crisscrossing sword wounds on his face felt like they were on fire.

In his previous life, he had relied on deceit and manipulation, rarely engaging in direct combat. Even his capture by the Demon Lord had resulted in a swift and merciful death. He had never truly suffered. But this time around, things weren’t going as smoothly.

Yet, instead of reflecting on his own actions, he blamed Luo Nianshang for his misfortune.

His expression twisted with bitterness. He stumbled towards the shelter of a large tree, seeking refuge from the relentless rain.

The tree he chose happened to be the one where Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan were perched. Looking down, Bai Jingxue saw the top of his head.

She glanced at her claws, then at a small mound of earth rising from the ground. It moved slowly, inching towards the male lead’s feet.

Bai Jingxue was puzzled. The creature was right there, yet the male lead seemed oblivious. Even the demonic cultivator remained silent.

Unaware of the impending danger, the male lead retrieved a cracked porcelain bottle from his sleeve. With only one hand, he struggled to remove the cork with his teeth, then poured out the contents.

Bai Jingxue’s sharp eyes noticed the clumps forming in the powder. It was old, most likely expired. Judging by the scent, it was a low-grade hemostatic powder.

She couldn’t believe it. The arrogant male lead of the novel, reduced to using expired, low-grade medicine.

A small smile crept onto her face.

Ouyang Ba poured the powder onto his wounds, then tore a strip of fabric from his sleeve to bandage his arm.

The creature seemed particularly interested in him. It made no move to attack as he tended to his wounds.

The side effects of the expired powder hit him with full force. He cried out in pain, gripping his sword and trying to pull himself up. But his sword plunged into the ground, piercing the creature’s flesh.

A shrill, childlike shriek filled the air, a sound that conveyed both pain and fury.

Before the male lead could react, a slimy appendage slammed into him, sending him flying into another tree.

The ground trembled, and cracks spiderwebbed across the surface. Bai Jingxue instinctively covered Lü Qingyan’s eyes with her paw. This creature was nightmare fuel for anyone with trypophobia.

“Jingxue, why are you covering my eyes?” Lü Qingyan whined.

She swatted Bai Jingxue’s paw away and took one look at the creature emerging from the ground. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted, thankfully landing safely on the sturdy branch.

Bai Jingxue shook her head and turned her attention back to the scene below.

The male lead’s face was obscured by the bandages, but his eyes were wide with terror.

The creature was a pulsating mass of slime, like a giant jelly that had rolled around in mud. Countless tentacles sprouted from its body, each tipped with an eye.

And each eye held a different expression: some gleeful, some enraged. It was truly horrifying.

So those eyes peering up from the vortexes had belonged to this thing.

The creature’s flesh was translucent, the rain washing away the clinging mud to reveal its gruesome contents.

Bai Jingxue saw the eagle carcass within its body and recalled a passage from the novel.

This creature was a slug that had somehow achieved sentience. It could have become a powerful demon beast, but without proper guidance, it had devolved into this monstrous form.

“Consuming too much resentment can lead to some rather unpleasant mutations,” she thought, pushing the unconscious dog behind her as she observed the situation.

The male lead, now a mere mortal, was paralyzed by fear, unable to speak as he stared at the grotesque creature before him. He pleaded with the demonic cultivator for help, but his cries went unanswered.

The slug demon, its slimy body undulating, dragged itself forward, leaving a trail of eyes in its wake. The eyes that were dragged complained, their cries echoing like those of a distressed infant.

The eyes on the upper portion of its body, however, seemed to find the situation amusing, their expressions mocking the misfortune of their counterparts.

This was more terrifying than any horror movie. Lü Qingyan, who had just regained consciousness, promptly fainted again.

Bai Jingxue sighed and covered the unconscious dog’s eyes with her tail.

Seeing the creature’s slow movements, Ouyang Ba regained some of his composure. He struggled to his feet, his legs trembling, and turned to flee.

But he didn’t get far. Something wrapped around his waist, pulling him back. He looked down to see a bloodshot eye staring up at him, its expression filled with malicious glee. A tentacle had ensnared him.

Bai Jingxue was reminded of sticky toys from her past life, the kind with long, stretchy appendages that could grab and hold onto anything. This creature was similar.

It seemed to mimic the abilities of the creatures it consumed. The way it had burrowed through the earth had been reminiscent of an earthworm.

In the blink of an eye, the male lead was back before the slug demon. The tentacles parted, revealing a gaping maw. There were no teeth, just a smooth, gelatinous cavity. It could only swallow its prey whole.

Terror gripped Ouyang Ba. He reached out with his remaining hand, pushing against the creature’s flesh, but his hand sank into the slime, as if it were quicksand.

Bai Jingxue watched from her perch, her mind racing. She needed to know. If the male lead died so easily, it would mean that the concept of protagonist plot armor, of being chosen by fate, was nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

But if he survived, it would confirm that he truly possessed some kind of destiny.

As the male lead’s body sank deeper into the slime, Bai Jingxue felt a surge of anticipation.

A flash of sword light sliced through the air, cleaving the slug demon in two. The male lead, miraculously, was still alive, though covered in slime and utterly pathetic.

The severed halves of the slug demon writhed, its flesh bubbling and reforming. It was still alive.

Bai Jingxue wasn’t interested in the male lead’s survival. Had he died, she would have made sure his coffin was nailed shut, just to be safe.

Her attention was focused on the source of the sword light.

A young woman, dressed in the robes of an Ejian Sect disciple, landed gracefully before them. Her sword shimmered, surrounded by an ethereal glow, like dandelion seeds caught in the wind.

Bai Jingxue recognized her. A small, rose-shaped birthmark adorned the back of her neck, its pale pink hue a stark contrast to her surrounding skin.

She had been so focused on the female lead and the Demon Lord that she had forgotten about the other members of the male lead’s harem. This was Fu Yuan.

In the original story, their first meeting had been orchestrated by the male lead, a classic damsel-in-distress scenario designed to win her affections. He had charmed her with his fake heroism.

But this time, things were different. Fu Yuan had initially moved to help the male lead, but seeing his pathetic state, she had recoiled. She stood at a safe distance, her voice wary. “Are you alright?”

Then, a flicker of confusion crossed her face. “You have no spiritual energy,” she said. “How did a mortal like you get in here?”

Something was amiss. Fu Yuan’s guard went up.

But her attention was quickly drawn back to the slug demon. The severed halves had regenerated, forming two separate creatures.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent a vine whipping towards the creatures, pulling the male lead to safety.

Bai Jingxue noticed something peculiar. She could see a faint aura surrounding the humans and demons, and Fu Yuan’s aura was significantly stronger. The outcome of this battle was already decided.

Sensing Lü Qingyan stirring, she whispered, “Close your eyes.”

Lü Qingyan, her mind still clouded with sleep, obeyed, but her words betrayed her dreamy state. “Is Jingxue going to give me a good morning kiss?” she mumbled.

Bai Jingxue rolled her eyes. Couldn’t that idiot dog think about something else for once?

The battle below was losing its appeal. A mischievous idea took root in Bai Jingxue’s mind. She decided to have a little fun with the poor, clueless dog.

“Who are you?” she asked.

Lü Qingyan didn’t hesitate. “Lü Qingyan,” she replied. “Your girlfriend.”

“Ex-girlfriend,” Bai Jingxue corrected.

Lü Qingyan’s ears drooped, but she quickly recovered. “Right, right. Ex-girlfriend. So what were you going to say?”

Bai Jingxue found her endearing, almost regretting her plan to mess with her. But her mischievous side won out.

“How can you be so sure that you’re Lü Qingyan and I’m Bai Jingxue?” she asked calmly.

Lü Qingyan blinked, her brow furrowing. “What do you mean?” she asked, confused. “How could we be anyone else?”

Bai Jingxue licked her paw, her demeanor nonchalant. “Perhaps there is no Bai Jingxue or Lü Qingyan,” she said. “Perhaps there is no transmigration. What if we’re just cats and dogs with implanted memories?”

Lü Qingyan’s eyes flew open. She hadn’t seen the slug demon this time, so she remained conscious.

The dog stared at her, a look of utter bewilderment on her face. She didn’t seem to recognize herself anymore.

Bai Jingxue’s tail twitched as she continued, “Or perhaps there are no implanted memories. What if Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan never existed? What if we’re just sick, our minds clinging to a fabricated past?”

Lü Qingyan broke out in a cold sweat. She shook her head and began to pace in a circle, her claws scraping against the bark of the tree.

After a while, she stopped and looked up at Bai Jingxue. “Aren’t you scared?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Bai Jingxue glanced at the battle below. She didn’t seem particularly concerned about her own identity.

She smiled. “Of course I’m scared,” she admitted. “But I still exist.”

Her calm demeanor seemed to reassure Lü Qingyan. The tension eased from her face.

Bai Jingxue, seeing her deep in thought, didn’t interrupt. Only when Fu Yuan had finally defeated the slug demon did she speak again, her voice soft but firm.

“So,” she said, “let go of those false memories, that fabricated past. Find your own path.”

Chapter 7: Fateful Encounters

The secret realm seemed deceptively peaceful. The spiritual energy here was even richer than outside, yet Bai Jingxue felt a strange unease, a restless energy coursing through her veins.

Her irritation only intensified as the dog beside her continued its incessant chatter. She whirled around and delivered two swift punches to Lü Qingyan’s head.

“Ow! Hey, that didn’t hurt at all!”

Bai Jingxue stared at her, wondering if, like in their past life, Lü Qingyan was deliberately downplaying the pain to tease her. The sound of her skull cracking had been quite convincing.

She sighed and turned towards a towering tree, its branches disappearing into the dense canopy above. With a powerful leap, she landed gracefully on a high branch.

Even with her enhanced vision, the dense foliage obscured her view. Looking up, she could only see a few eagles circling overhead.

One of the eagles, sensing her presence, swooped down, its talons extended, ready to snatch the small black cat.

In a flash, a white blur intercepted the eagle, sinking its teeth into its neck. With a few violent shakes, Lü Qingyan snapped the eagle’s neck.

Releasing her grip, she watched as the lifeless bird plummeted towards the ground. The moment it landed, a swirling vortex appeared, swallowing the carcass whole.

The forest returned to its tranquil state, its beauty unsettling.

“Jingxue, wasn’t that amazing?” Lü Qingyan barked, her tail spinning like a propeller. Her eyes were wide, her head tilted, her entire being radiating a desperate need for praise.

Bai Jingxue could have handled the eagle herself. It wasn’t a spirit beast, merely a wild animal. What truly astonished her was Lü Qingyan’s ability to teleport.

She wanted to compliment her, but fear of encouraging further entanglement held her back. She settled for a noncommittal “mm-hmm.”

They had been separated from their respective owners, their fates intertwined once more in this unexpected pet duo.

Despite their limited power, Bai Jingxue was determined to save the female lead from her tragic fate. If Luo Nianshang succumbed to her love-struck destiny, it would only torment Bai Jingxue further.

“Yes,” she thought, “this is all for the sake of my own sanity. It has nothing to do with the fact that Luo Nianshang is a decent person.”

She repeated this mantra three times in her mind.

Their entry into the secret realm had been rather chaotic. The crowd, overcome by greed, had surged forward. Luo Nianshang and the Demon Lord had remained unmoved, but the cat and dog hadn’t been so fortunate.

Bai Jingxue walked ahead, her feline grace a stark contrast to Lü Qingyan’s bouncy gait, which resembled a happy dance.

Unable to contain her excitement, Lü Qingyan resumed her chatter. “Jingxue, do you think there’s any way to stop them?”

Silence.

“Jingxue, Jingxue, the female lead is treating you well, right? I’ve been so worried about you.”

Silence.

“It would be so much easier if we could transform back into humans. Then we could actually do something. Oh, and I have a secret. I think the Demon Lord is illiterate.”

Lü Qingyan lowered her voice for that last bit. Bai Jingxue finally stopped and turned, her brow furrowed. She wanted to ask how Lü Qingyan had reached that conclusion, but decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

With a sigh, she shook her head and continued walking, leading the way.

---

“Venerable One,” the Demon Lord purred, her voice laced with amusement. “What a coincidence that we should end up together.”

They had landed in a desolate wasteland, littered with bones and withered trees. The air was thick with resentment, a palpable energy that clawed at their minds.

Luo Nianshang, however, was protected by her inherent divinity. Like a cold, ethereal moon, she radiated a gentle light that repelled the lingering spirits.

For the Demon Lord, these spirits were nothing more than sustenance, fuel for her cultivation.

When Luo Nianshang didn’t respond, the Demon Lord couldn’t resist prodding her further, her questions deliberately provocative.

Her red lips curved into a sly smile. “You’ve lived for so long, Venerable One,” she said. “Surely, there must have been someone who captured your heart?”

Luo Nianshang’s fists clenched, her expression hardening. She quickened her pace.

The Demon Lord, finding her reaction amusing, kept pace, her voice dripping with mockery. “Don’t tell me you’ve never experienced the joys of love, Venerable One.”

Luo Nianshang remained silent.

The Demon Lord clutched her chest dramatically. “Such a shame,” she sighed. “It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures. You really should try it. If you find the men of the righteous sects too dull, perhaps a demon cultivator could satisfy your needs. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to personally deliver one to your doorstep, bound and ready.”

That was it. Luo Nianshang couldn’t take it anymore. She dared not turn around, afraid of revealing her flustered state. “How absurd!” she snapped.

Despite the Demon Lord’s relentless teasing, Luo Nianshang hadn’t drawn her sword. She simply increased her speed, her footsteps a blur as she tried to shake off her pursuer.

The Demon Lord, watching her hasty retreat, chuckled and followed close behind.

Luo Nianshang’s face was as cold as ice, while the Demon Lord trailed her, her laughter echoing through the desolate landscape.

Luo Nianshang regretted her earlier kindness. She suspected that her gesture of offering the shoes had given the Demon Lord the impression that she was open to such frivolous banter. But the truth was, she was incredibly awkward when it came to matters of the heart.

When she had been young and inexperienced, her fellow disciples had been caught up in a whirlwind of romances. She, however, had been focused on her cultivation.

As time passed, her peers had married and started families. She had continued to cultivate.

Eventually, those she had known passed away, replaced by a new generation of disciples, who, in turn, embarked on their own romantic journeys. And still, she cultivated.

Was romance truly more fulfilling than the pursuit of enlightenment?

What was wrong with these young cultivators? They lacked dedication!

How could they hope to protect the realm and usher in an era of peace if they were so easily distracted by frivolous pursuits?

The Demon Lord, hot on Luo Nianshang’s heels, suddenly doubled over, clutching her stomach. She had inadvertently absorbed a particularly potent, and unpleasant, wisp of resentment.

She had no choice but to abandon her verbal assault on Luo Nianshang. “Ugh, what foul energy,” she muttered. “Disgusting.”

Dark clouds gathered overhead, and a deafening clap of thunder shook the earth. A steady rain began to fall.

The raindrops sizzled as they hit the ground, accompanied by a low, guttural moan that sent chills down their spines.

Lü Qingyan retreated beneath the shelter of a large tree. “I think that might be acid rain,” she whimpered.

Bai Jingxue shook her head. She had touched the rain, and it hadn’t harmed her. Something was lurking beneath the surface.

She wondered if, in gaming terms, this would be considered a boss fight or a mini-boss.

Despite the danger, Bai Jingxue remained calm. She glanced at Lü Qingyan, who was humming cheerfully beside her. “Aren’t you scared?” she asked.

Lü Qingyan grinned, her face radiating pure joy. “Not at all,” she replied. “To think that I’d be lucky enough to find you again in this life. It’s a miracle!”

Coming from anyone else, those words would have sounded insincere, but Bai Jingxue believed her. Lü Qingyan had a way of defying expectations.

Her tail relaxed, and she asked, “How did you die?”

Lü Qingyan’s face fell. “I was on my way to find you,” she said sadly. “A flowerpot fell from a window and hit me on the head.”

Bai Jingxue couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. Lü Qingyan had always been the lucky one. She hadn’t expected such a mundane accident to claim her life.

But Lü Qingyan seemed to have no regrets. Her curiosity piqued, she asked, “What about you?”

“Car accident,” Bai Jingxue replied flatly.

To be more precise, she had drowned. She had been driving home from the hospital after collecting her test results when her car swerved off the road and plunged into a reservoir. She had been conscious the entire time, and it was Luo Nianshang who had pulled her from the water.

Swirling vortexes began to appear in the ground, as if something was churning the earth from below. Looking closer, Bai Jingxue saw eyes peering up from the depths.

They stared at the cat and dog perched in the tree, their gaze filled with malice and hunger.

Sensing the danger, Bai Jingxue arched her back, her fur bristling. She hissed at the creatures below.

Even Lü Qingyan, oblivious as she was, felt a surge of unease. She barked furiously at the ground.

She had never been prey before. Instinct took over, and she panicked. But she quickly regained her composure.

“Jingxue, you go first! I’ll hold them off!”

Bai Jingxue shot her a sideways glance. “Did the Demon Lord give you anything for protection?” she asked.

Lü Qingyan blinked, tilting her head in confusion. Then, she lifted her chin, revealing a collar hidden beneath her fur. “Does this count? She put it on me to stop me from running away.”

Bai Jingxue sighed. There was no point in scolding a dog.

The bell Luo Nianshang had given her could be used for defense, but it offered no offensive capabilities.

As Lü Qingyan opened her mouth to speak, Bai Jingxue placed a paw over it, silencing her.

Then, she sniffed the air. Her pupils constricted. She recognized the scent. It was the male lead.

A moment later, his voice reached them, accompanied by the heavy stench of blood and a string of angry curses.

“You manipulated them into creating a diversion,” he snarled. “Did you even consider my well-being?”

The shadowy figure beside him was barely visible now. “Hmph,” it replied coldly. “If you weren’t so incompetent, I wouldn’t have had to intervene.”

The male lead, however, was too consumed by fear to listen. The terror of his impending death clung to him like a shroud, twisting his features into a mask of resentment. “The only one who survived this place in my past life was Luo Nianshang,” he muttered. “I was going to wait until she was weakened after leaving seclusion and drug her then. Now, I’m not even sure I’ll make it out of here alive.”

The demonic cultivator couldn’t take it anymore. “Is that all you ever think about?” he roared.

He had lived, and died, for over ten thousand years. This was the first time he had questioned his judgment.

He had always believed that the body was merely a vessel, that the soul remained untouched. He might have been a villain, but he had never been interested in such base desires. He was starting to regret choosing this particular host.

The male lead bristled at his words. “Lust is a natural human desire!” he retorted. “Are you saying you’re not human?”

The demonic cultivator’s form flickered, his voice laced with chilling amusement. “I’m a ghost,” he replied.

Lü Qingyan, perched in the tree, had to stifle a laugh. The male lead looked pathetic, one arm dangling uselessly at his side, his face crisscrossed with sword wounds.

However, the moment he appeared, the swirling vortexes in the ground began to disappear.

Bai Jingxue watched impassively as the rain, mixed with the male lead’s blood, splattered onto the ground. The crimson hue faded, until the rain was clear once more.

The creatures below hadn’t given up on their prey. This was merely the calm before the storm.

Bai Jingxue settled down, preparing to enjoy the show. If the male lead’s presence drew out the creatures, she would have a chance to observe their attack patterns.

Her tail swished back and forth excitedly. Lü Qingyan, sensing her mood, sighed.

“Oh no,” she thought. “Jingxue’s up to something.”

Chapter 6: The Secret Realm

The “death trap” part was certainly true. The novel, in its absurdity, had also bestowed upon the secret realm a rather absurd purpose.

Despite its grand-sounding name, the “inheritance” within the Qiankun Secret Realm was nothing more than a dual cultivation manual. This manual would play a pivotal role in the male lead’s rapid ascent to power.

The male lead, in his previous life, hadn’t entered the secret realm. He had only heard rumors of those who had entered and never returned. After his rebirth, he had intended to use the secret realm to eliminate the Demon Lord, only to be dragged inside himself.

Bai Jingxue, perched on Luo Nianshang’s shoulder, flicked her tail back and forth, pondering how to use her current advantages to prevent the female lead from entering the Qiankun Secret Realm.

A small bell, strung on a red cord, hung from her neck. It remained silent as she moved.

She leaped down from Luo Nianshang’s shoulder and glanced back. The female lead sat in meditation, as still and unyielding as a stone statue.

With a flick of her tail, Bai Jingxue slipped out of the chamber and headed towards the most populated peak of the sect.

She could see the flow of spiritual energy with perfect clarity. Drawing upon this energy and channeling it into her paws, she moved with incredible speed, the scenery blurring around her. It reminded her of the thrill of racing in her past life.

She reached a cliff overlooking the grand hall where the sect leader resided. The green tiles of the roof were visible through the swirling mist.

Estimating the distance, Bai Jingxue realized she was about twenty stories above her target.

Undeterred, she took a running leap and landed gracefully on the tiled roof.

Aside from a slight tingling in her paw pads, she was unharmed. Clearly, this black cat body was no ordinary creature. But the novel, with its focus on steamy encounters, offered little insight into the world’s intricacies. Her knowledge remained limited.

Licking her paw, she calmly surveyed the sea of white-clad disciples gathered before the grand hall. After listening for a while, she realized these were the elite disciples chosen to enter the secret realm.

The Ejian Sect was primarily a sword cultivation sect, its male and female disciples evenly balanced. Within the sect lay a forbidden zone known as the Sword Pool, where countless sword spirits were sealed.

Upon reaching the Nascent Soul realm, disciples were granted the opportunity to enter the Sword Pool and choose a sword spirit to bond with. The chosen spirit would reside within their sword, gradually merging with it, enhancing its power.

The swords wielded by the disciples before her shimmered with spiritual energy, indicating that they had all surpassed the Nascent Soul realm.

Suddenly, a young woman caught Bai Jingxue’s attention. As if sensing her gaze, the woman looked up.

“What’s wrong, Senior Sister Fu?” someone asked.

Fu Yuan smiled. “Nothing,” she replied.

Bai Jingxue was surprised by her keen senses. She let out a sigh of relief, then a thought struck her.

“Why am I hiding?” she wondered. “I’m just a cat.”

Emboldened, she sat at the edge of the roof, observing the disciples below. Fu Yuan, however, didn’t look up again.

This young woman was another significant member of the male lead’s harem. She possessed a rare physique, ideal for dual cultivation, making her a prime target for those seeking to exploit her power. Unwilling to become a tool, she had fled to the Ejian Sect, collapsing at their gates.

Had the disciples found her a moment later, she would have died.

But her rescue hadn’t been her salvation. After the events of the Qiankun Secret Realm, she would still end up on the very path she had sought to avoid.

Bai Jingxue stared at her pink paw pads, a strange sense of amusement washing over her. But she wasn’t laughing at those who struggled against fate. She was laughing at fate itself.

The sect leader concluded his speech and dismissed the disciples.

As Bai Jingxue turned to leave, the sect leader suddenly appeared before her.

“Elder Bai, a moment, please.”

Bai Jingxue blinked, her ears twitching in disbelief. Elder Bai? Sure, her surname was Bai, but did they not see the black fur covering her body?

She struggled to recall the sect leader’s name from the novel, but it eluded her. He had been a minor character, poisoned by the male lead and dissolved into a puddle of goo. The epitome of a disposable extra.

The disposable sect leader held out a jade slip. “Please take this with you,” he said.

Paws weren’t exactly designed for carrying objects. To take the slip, she would have to hold it in her mouth. Bai Jingxue, too lazy to even open her eyes, turned to leave.

Then, the scent of dried fish wafted into her nostrils.

It smelled divine. She swallowed, tempted. But she turned away, her demeanor aloof.

She, Bai Jingxue, would not be swayed by such petty bribes!

Inside the chamber, Luo Nianshang frowned at the jade slip. After a moment, she set it aside and scooped up the cat, carefully wiping away the dried fish crumbs clinging to her whiskers.

“You glutton,” she chuckled.

Bai Jingxue’s face flushed, despite being covered in black fur. She let out a haughty meow, as if in protest.

Luo Nianshang patted her head, her voice soothing. “Yes, yes, you’re not a glutton.”

Looking into the female lead’s gentle eyes, Bai Jingxue thought that perhaps this peaceful existence wasn’t so bad after all. She had food, shelter, and companionship. A bit boring, perhaps, but not unpleasant.

It reminded her of her past, of the simple life she and Qingyan had longed for: a steady job, a comfortable home, and each other’s company.

She didn’t understand why, but despite her best efforts to let go, memories of their time together kept resurfacing.

She couldn’t deny it. She still missed her.

Her melancholic musings were interrupted by the female lead’s voice.

Luo Nianshang’s face was clouded with worry. “The divination revealed that I will encounter a romantic entanglement on this journey,” she sighed.

Luo Nianshang, who had been single for millennia, was stunned. Romance had never been a priority for her.

However, those memories were distant now, fading into the mists of time. She only remembered her unwavering dedication to cultivation, her relentless pursuit of power that had ultimately led her to this position.

To confirm the accuracy of the divination, she glanced at the black cat in her arms and had an idea. She performed another divination, this time focusing on the cat.

“Hmm, another romantic entanglement,” she muttered. “Perhaps I’m out of practice.”

Bai Jingxue shuddered. If the female lead was indeed going to the secret realm, then the “romantic entanglement” was most likely referring to the male lead.

That scumbag? A romantic entanglement?

Panic surged through her. She struggled in Luo Nianshang’s grasp, meowing frantically. But her efforts were futile. The female lead couldn’t understand her.

Resigned, Bai Jingxue allowed herself to be carried towards the Qiankun Secret Realm, a sense of dread settling over her.

The Ejian Sect contingent wasn’t the first to arrive. A multitude of cultivators, their robes representing various sects and factions, had gathered before the swirling mist that marked the entrance to the secret realm. They were divided into three distinct groups: demon cultivators, righteous cultivators, and rogue cultivators, the latter further split into those aligned with demonic or righteous practices.

The Ejian Sect, being the most powerful sect in the righteous realm, was granted the most advantageous position. The sect closest to the entrance hastily yielded their spot, eager to curry favor.

Bai Jingxue watched their obsequious display with a mixture of amusement and disdain.

Any other leader might have acknowledged their gesture, but this was Luo Nianshang. She would likely forget about it the moment they turned their backs.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She sensed something nearby. She tore her gaze away from the crowd and looked towards the left.

There she was. Lü Qingyan, held firmly in the Demon Lord’s grasp. And her fur had grown back.

As expected, Bai Jingxue could hear her ex-girlfriend’s thoughts loud and clear.

“Jingxue, why are you ignoring me?”

Bai Jingxue, met with those pleading eyes and the sight of that wagging tail, couldn’t bring herself to face her. She turned away, covering her ears with her paws.

Their exchange went unnoticed. The Demon Lord’s attention was focused solely on Luo Nianshang.

Their gazes locked, and the bustling crowd fell silent.

The Demon Lord, staring at Luo Nianshang’s impassive face, forced a smile. “We meet again so soon,” she purred.

Luo Nianshang merely nodded. Those who reached a certain level of cultivation developed a faint awareness of the threads of fate that bound all living things. She had once been able to sense the Demon Lord’s future, but that connection had vanished.

A sense of unease settled over her. There were only two possible explanations for this. Either the Demon Lord’s cultivation had surpassed her own, or their fates had become intertwined.

Seeing that Luo Nianshang was lost in thought, the Demon Lord, her attempt at conversation rebuffed, fell silent.

With the return of her poison pearl, her health had been fully restored, eliminating her allergy to dog fur. Today, she had opted for a more revealing outfit.

The Qiankun Secret Realm had no visible entrance. It existed as a shimmering mirage within the swirling mist, a world of lush greenery beckoning from beyond the barren wasteland they stood upon.

Those who had attempted to enter prematurely had been enveloped by the mist, their bodies dissolving into wisps of blood-red energy that vanished with a sickening gulp.

Knowing the dangers that lay ahead, Luo Nianshang had decided to accompany the disciples herself. She hadn’t expected the Demon Lord to do the same.

As if on cue, the mist began to dissipate, revealing the wonders within the secret realm. Rare beasts roamed freely, and long-extinct herbs and spirit plants flourished in abundance. The eyes of the cultivators gleamed with avarice, their breaths growing ragged. But they dared not move.

As anticipation reached fever pitch, the Demon Lord, with a playful smile, stepped towards the secret realm.

And then, her leg was yanked back.

She looked down to see her dog clinging to her robes, its teeth firmly embedded in the fabric. Thankfully, she hadn’t chosen to wear anything too revealing today.

The smile froze on her face. Even the opportunity to flaunt her power before Luo Nianshang couldn’t erase her annoyance.

Lü Qingyan, who had been desperately trying to get Bai Jingxue’s attention, felt a surge of panic as the secret realm beckoned.

Seeing the Demon Lord about to enter, she had lunged, her small body filled with an unexpected strength.

“Don’t go in there!” she shrieked in her mind. “You’ll be ravaged by the male lead!”

Bai Jingxue, her ears no longer covered, listened to the commotion with a mixture of amusement and concern.

The secret realm was a death trap for those not chosen by fate. And the chosen one, of course, was the male lead. In the original story, only the male lead and a select few female cultivators had emerged from the secret realm alive.

Their survival had been attributed to their “fated” connection with the male lead.

Bai Jingxue looked up at Luo Nianshang’s chin and let out a plaintive meow.

The crowd, their attention focused on the Demon Lord and her unruly pet, missed the flicker of concern in Luo Nianshang’s eyes.

She gently stroked the cat’s head, her voice soft as she transmitted her thoughts directly into Bai Jingxue’s mind. “Are you scared? Don’t worry, I won’t take you in there.”

Bai Jingxue shook her head and meowed again, but her efforts were futile. The female lead couldn’t understand her.

She scanned the crowd, but the male lead was nowhere to be seen.

“Jingxue, what do we do? We can’t let them go in there!” Lü Qingyan cried out in her mind.

Bai Jingxue, unable to ignore her any longer, sighed. “I don’t know,” she admitted.

Chapter 5: A Gift Given

The commotion disrupted Luo Nianshang’s meditation. Listening to the panicked cries of her disciples, she emerged from her chamber and cast a cold gaze at the two uninvited guests at the foot of the mountain.

The disciples of Ejian Peak, who had been bracing themselves for an attack, relaxed slightly upon seeing their ancestor. Their grip on their weapons loosened.

However, decorum dictated that they remain silent in their ancestor’s presence. The indignant shouts and cries of alarm died down, leaving only the excited barks of a certain oblivious dog.

Bai Jingxue padded over to Luo Nianshang’s side. Her feline senses were incredibly acute. She could see both the tangible and intangible, her vision extending far beyond the limits of ordinary sight.

She saw the Demon Lord’s disheveled appearance and couldn’t reconcile it with the image from the novel.

The Demon Lord of the novel was ruthless and alluring, always maintaining an air of haughty indifference, even in the face of adversity. She had cared little for the lives of others, including her own. She was, for lack of a better word, unhinged.

But the Demon Lord standing before her now seemed devoid of her usual arrogance. Her face was contorted in frustration, her knuckles white as she gripped the dog leash. And then, Bai Jingxue noticed it. The Demon Lord was missing a shoe.

She had to bite back a laugh. The Demon Lord was notoriously petty. What if she interpreted Bai Jingxue’s amusement as mockery?

And how on earth had Lü Qingyan managed to drag the Demon Lord all the way here?

Bai Jingxue edged closer to Luo Nianshang, hiding behind her and covering her ears with her paws. She had no desire to hear whatever Lü Qingyan was barking about.

The standoff between the Demon Lord and the disciples of Ejian Sect stretched on, the air thick with tension.

Finally, the Demon Lord made a move. With an elegant gesture, she smoothed back her wind-blown hair, tucking the stray strands behind her ears.

Then, with a swift motion, she knocked the source of the commotion unconscious and cradled the limp dog in her arms.

Each movement sent a ripple of apprehension through the ranks of the Ejian Sect disciples. Some even broke out in a cold sweat.

The current Demon Lord might have been relatively subdued, but her rise to power had been just as brutal as Luo Nianshang’s legendary demon-slaying campaigns.

After the second campaign, the Demon Realm had descended into chaos, various factions vying for power. Demons, being notoriously difficult to eradicate, had continued to plague the realm. The righteous sects, content with reclaiming the most valuable territories, had chosen not to intervene.

They had assumed this power struggle would continue indefinitely. Then, the current Demon Lord had emerged, cutting a bloody path through the Demon Realm. She had captured the leaders of thirty-five demon factions and, on the highest peak of the Demon Realm, had erected a cauldron, where she had refined them alive, leaving no trace of their souls or bones.

The torment had lasted for a month, the screams of the damned echoing throughout the land.

Luo Nianshang might have been a swift and merciful executioner, but the Demon Lord turned death into an art form.

Fear warred with righteousness within the hearts of the disciples. They swallowed their fear, reminding themselves that their ancestor was there to protect them. Chests puffed out, they stood their ground.

The Demon Lord saw their apprehension, a flicker of amusement crossing her eyes. She looked up at Luo Nianshang, her expression unreadable.

The amusement faded, replaced by a charming smile. “Such a unique way to greet a guest,” she purred.

Then, feigning familiarity, she addressed Luo Nianshang directly. “We meet again, Venerable One. It seems fate has brought us together once more.”

Before Luo Nianshang could respond, the disciples erupted in a chorus of indignant shouts.

“As if we’d be fated to cross paths with a demon like you!”

“The audacity! Our Ancestor is a paragon of virtue! You wouldn’t recognize righteousness if it slapped you across your wicked face!”

“Oh no! Our Ancestor has been tainted!”

Bai Jingxue, who had been enjoying the drama, flinched at that last comment. She glanced at the disciple who had spoken, his face pale, his expression one of utter devastation, as if his entire world had just crumbled.

She couldn’t help but wonder how Luo Nianshang would react.

To her surprise, the female lead’s expression remained unchanged. However, Bai Jingxue noticed her gaze flicker downwards, as if inspecting her own attire.

A look of bewilderment crossed her face.

As the commotion escalated, the unconscious dog in the Demon Lord’s arms stirred. The moment its eyes fluttered open, the Demon Lord swiftly knocked it out again.

Lü Qingyan slumped back into blissful unconsciousness.

Bai Jingxue extended a paw, then thought better of it, retreating behind Luo Nianshang once more.

Their past was just that: the past. Rekindling their relationship now seemed pointless, especially given their current circumstances. They weren’t even the same species anymore.

The Demon Lord’s gaze swept over the crowd, her patience wearing thin. She had endured enough for one day. First, the humiliating paralysis, then the dog’s escape, followed by the unexpected display of spatial magic that had landed her here.

She knew who to blame for this mess. The mark in her sea of consciousness, a miniature replica of Luo Nianshang’s sword, was a constant reminder. If Luo Nianshang hadn’t tampered with her poison pearl, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

A wicked thought took root in her mind. She would kill one of Luo Nianshang’s precious disciples right before her eyes. It would be the perfect revenge.

“Luo Nianshang, oh, Luo Nianshang,” she thought, her smile turning predatory. “You claim to care for all living things. Let’s see you utter those hypocritical words when you can’t even protect those closest to you.”

The anticipation of the chaos to come made her smile widen. She licked her lips, her tongue darting out like a viper tasting the air.

Ignoring the cacophony, Luo Nianshang’s gaze settled on the Demon Lord’s bare foot.

She didn’t believe for a second that the Demon Lord had come here intentionally to provoke a conflict. A hunch began to form. This was probably just an elaborate dog-walking route.

To think that the fearsome Demon Lord was such a devoted pet owner, willing to travel such a distance to appease her furry companion. Perhaps there was hope for her yet.

“Silence!” she commanded, her voice cutting through the noise like a whip.

Silence descended upon the Ejian Sect. Heads bowed, the disciples knelt in unison.

“We apologize for our disrespect, Ancestor! Please punish us!”

Luo Nianshang ignored them. She leaped from the peak and landed gracefully before the Demon Lord. Bai Jingxue, who had been batting at the female lead’s wind-blown robes, let out a startled meow as her claws snagged on the fabric and she was carried along.

Luo Nianshang, noticing her predicament, scooped her up and settled her on her shoulder.

The Demon Lord tensed, expecting an attack. But Luo Nianshang merely studied her for a moment, then, to the Demon Lord’s astonishment, produced a pair of shoes.

“It’s not wise to walk around barefoot,” she said simply.

Unlike the Demon Lord, Luo Nianshang was a creature of habit. Her attire, from her shoes and robes to her hair ornaments, was always the same. The shoes she offered were identical to the ones on her own feet.

The Demon Lord stared at the shoes, their pristine whiteness offensive to her eyes.

“How utterly hypocritical,” she thought.

Maintaining her smile, she made no move to accept the gift. Instead, she lifted her foot and, right before Luo Nianshang’s eyes, removed the remaining shoe and tossed it aside.

“Age seems to have addled your mind, Venerable One,” she said, her voice laced with mockery.

Luo Nianshang, in all her years, had never offered a genuine gift, only to have it so blatantly rejected. Her expression flickered, a hint of hurt flashing in her eyes.

But she was nothing if not persistent. Gifts, once offered, were not meant to be retracted. She bent down and placed the shoes at the Demon Lord’s feet.

The Demon Lord’s eyes widened, the anger draining from her face, replaced by bewilderment.

She hated this feeling, this sense of not being in control. Her smile vanished as she transformed into a red mist and disappeared.

Luo Nianshang made no move to stop her. The shoes she had offered vanished along with their intended recipient.

Closing her eyes, Luo Nianshang, too, transformed into a wisp of icy mist and returned to her chamber.

Alone once more, she shed her stoicism, her gaze distant as she sat on the futon, lost in thought.

Bai Jingxue, meanwhile, was coming to terms with the fact that some feline instincts were just too strong to resist. She was currently obsessed with batting at yarn balls. Mid-bat, however, she was scooped up into the air.

Her head was subjected to a barrage of affectionate rubs. She was starting to worry about premature balding.

She braced herself for the inevitable outpouring of emotion. As expected, the female lead launched into a monologue.

“My clothes aren’t dirty,” she muttered. “Why would he say I’m unclean?”

Bai Jingxue couldn’t believe her ears. The female lead’s obliviousness was almost comical. For the first time in her life, she understood the concept of a generation gap.

“Well,” she thought, “I’m just a cat. My only responsibility is to be adorable.”

She let out a meow, which only earned her more head scratches.

Unable to take it anymore, she turned and chomped down on the nearest available target.

Her tooth popped out.

Staring at the tiny tooth lying on the floor, Bai Jingxue’s eyes welled up. “Luo Nianshang!” she wailed. “You monster!”

Her cries were so pitiful that Luo Nianshang relented. Gently tilting the cat’s chin up, she popped the tooth back into place.

Once the cat had calmed down, Luo Nianshang resumed her musings.

“Do you think the Demon Lord can be redeemed?” she wondered aloud.

Bai Jingxue was skeptical. The Demon Lord of the novel had been deeply cynical, her worldview shaped by the horrors she had endured.

But the Demon Lord did seem rather attached to her belongings. Lü Qingyan was probably safe. Still, the fact that her ex-girlfriend had risked so much to see her left Bai Jingxue with a strange feeling in her chest.

Back in the Demon Palace, the Demon Lord was tempted to toss the dog aside, but the sight of a few bloodstains on its paws made her relent. She gently placed Lü Qingyan on her bed.

She was still convinced that the dog had run off to find Luo Nianshang. “Such terrible taste,” she muttered. “Obsessed with such a hypocrite.”

She picked up the shoes Luo Nianshang had given her, examining them for a moment before tossing them carelessly into a corner.

Exhaustion tugged at her. She sank onto her bed, her mind adrift. Ever since she had achieved her revenge, she had been plagued by a strange emptiness. She had no idea what to do with herself.

The sound of hurried footsteps broke through her thoughts. A moment later, a demon cultivator knelt before her. “Your Excellency!” he exclaimed. “The Qiankun Secret Realm has appeared!”

The Demon Lord snapped out of her stupor. “Assemble all elite disciples below the Nascent Soul realm,” she commanded, her voice sharp. “We will claim this secret realm for ourselves!”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

Lü Qingyan, startled awake, vaguely registered the words “Qiankun Secret Realm.” She bolted upright, her eyes wide.

Seeing that the Demon Lord was preparing to leave, she whined and shook her head vigorously.

The Demon Lord, misinterpreting her actions, assumed she was planning another escape attempt. With a flick of her wrist, she cast a sleeping spell.

As darkness closed in, a single line from the novel flashed through Lü Qingyan’s mind:

“The Qiankun Secret Realm. A death trap for those not chosen by fate.”

Chapter 4: Night Raid

Miles away from the Ejian Sect, a head broke the surface of a tranquil lake, disturbing the reflection of the moon. The air grew thick with the metallic scent of blood, rousing the nocturnal predators lurking at the water’s edge.

Had Bai Jingxue been there, she would have recognized the man instantly. It was the male lead.

The lake was frigid, but he dared not go ashore. The demonic energy shielding him had dwindled to a faint flicker. Without any cultivation, he would become nothing more than a midnight snack for the beasts.

He slammed his fists against the water in frustration, sending a spray of droplets into the air.

His face, contorted in rage, was more terrifying than any beast lurking in the shadows.

A figure materialized behind him, eventually taking the form of an old man. However, the strain of forcibly tearing through space to save the male lead had taken its toll on the demonic cultivator. He wouldn’t be of much help for a while.

His intentions towards the male lead had never been pure, but seeing him now, consumed by such foolish ambition, he couldn’t help but sneer. “Ouyang Ba,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain, “you, a mere ant, dare to covet the heart of a goddess? Such audacity is almost admirable.”

In true trashy novel fashion, the male lead’s name was as on-the-nose as his personality.

Ouyang Ba was a distant relative of the prestigious Ouyang Clan. Even if his lineage hadn’t been tainted by his illegitimate birth, he would have still been an outcast, his personality twisted and malicious.

In his previous life, he had relied on deceit and manipulation to become an outer disciple of the Ejian Sect. His charisma and silver tongue had charmed many a female cultivator into showering him with resources meant for cultivation.

During the large-scale conflict between the righteous and demonic sects, he had feigned being left behind, only to return after the battle to scavenge from the corpses.

It was then that he learned of the Demon Lord’s poison pearl and its ability to enhance one’s constitution. Driven by greed, he betrayed the Ejian Sect and defected to the Demon Realm, only to be killed by the Demon Lord for attempting to steal the pearl.

Reborn into the world, he used his knowledge to seek out the sealed demonic cultivator. With the cultivator’s help, he had successfully stolen the poison pearl.

His victory had come too easily, inflating his ego to dangerous levels.

Seeing him lost in his delusions, the demonic cultivator snorted and warned, “I suggest you abandon your foolish infatuation. That girl is nothing like the previous Demon Lord. She is not to be trifled with.”

There was a hint of apprehension in his voice, a flicker of fear that belied his arrogant demeanor.

But Ouyang Ba was too far gone to heed his warning. The image of Luo Nianshang, ethereal in her white robes, filled his mind, fueling his obsession.

Heaven had granted him a second chance. Surely, it meant he was destined for greatness. His previous failure was merely a setback.

His eyes gleamed with cunning. He had an idea.

---

The wind brushed against Bai Jingxue’s face as she feigned sleep within the safety of Luo Nianshang’s sleeve.

The Demon Lord’s invitation had been nothing more than a formality. As the esteemed ancestor of the Ejian Sect, Luo Nianshang couldn’t afford to be seen associating with the Demon Lord. There had been no attempt to persuade her to stay, though the little white dog had voiced its displeasure quite vocally.

Lost in her thoughts, Bai Jingxue was startled by the female lead’s gentle voice. “Don’t worry, I’m not fond of dogs.”

Her words were baffling, but Bai Jingxue’s sharp mind quickly pieced it together.

“Meow?” she responded, tilting her head.

Did the female lead seriously believe that the dog’s frantic barking was a sign of affection towards her?

She was tempted to set the record straight, but it was a futile endeavor. The female lead wouldn’t understand.

At that moment, Bai Jingxue’s desire to regain her human form reached its peak.

The clouds around them seemed to be moving slower. She peeked out, only to be met with a flurry of head scratches before being tucked back into the sleeve.

Luo Nianshang had deliberately slowed their pace. She had no pressing matters to attend to back at the sect. There were no imminent threats that required her intervention.

She didn’t want the wind to chill the cat, and she also wanted to savor the scenery.

Gazing down at the peaceful villages below, she couldn’t help but linger.

Bai Jingxue looked up at her, struck by the melancholic expression on her face. She could almost see the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Even a goddess had her burdens. And these burdens were not meant to be shared with mortals. So she confided in a cat.

“I don’t think the current Demon Lord is like the others,” she murmured. “She… doesn’t seem inherently cruel.”

Bai Jingxue emerged from the sleeve and settled in Luo Nianshang’s arms.

She looked up at the female lead’s chin, then back down at the villages below.

Luo Nianshang seemed lost in thought, her words a mix of questions directed at herself and the silent cat. “When,” she wondered aloud, “will someone stronger than me emerge to take on this responsibility?”

Bai Jingxue had no answers for her. In the original story, the world became nothing more than a playground for the male lead’s conquests. No one had the time or energy to worry about such matters.

Lost in her somber musings, Luo Nianshang decided to test the restrictions she had placed on the Demon Lord’s poison pearl. Closing her eyes, she began to chant a series of incantations.

Meanwhile, within the Demon Palace, Lü Qingyan was howling at the moon. However, she only dared to let out a couple of barks before falling silent under the Demon Lord’s amused gaze. Eventually, her howls were reduced to whimpers as she retreated to a corner, her body trembling.

“Are you done making a ruckus?” the Demon Lord purred.

She rose from her bed and sauntered towards Lü Qingyan.

Looking down at the cowering dog, she crouched and posed the question that had been plaguing her. “Why are you all so enamored with Luo Nianshang?”

The trembling ceased. Lü Qingyan’s mind raced. Finally, she tilted her head in confusion.

Unaware of the dog’s bewilderment, the Demon Lord continued, her voice a mixture of sadness and mockery. “Listen closely,” she warned. “You will forget about her. Understand?”

Lü Qingyan rolled her eyes. She had zero interest in the female lead. Her heart belonged to Bai Jingxue, and Bai Jingxue alone.

Mistaking the dog’s eye roll for defiance, the Demon Lord’s expression hardened. She was about to teach the mutt a lesson when the pearl around her neck began to glow. Her hand, raised to strike, froze mid-air.

Lü Qingyan sensed the shift in the Demon Lord’s demeanor. She didn’t know what was happening, but it was her chance to escape and find her beloved.

She bolted, darting around the frozen Demon Lord and out of the room. The demon guards, recognizing the Demon Lord’s pet, didn’t interfere.

The moment she was free from the confines of the palace, Lü Qingyan took a deep breath, the cool night air filling her small body with a sense of exhilaration.

Looking up at the moon, she imagined Bai Jingxue’s face staring back at her. With a joyous bark, she vanished into the night.

---

Bai Jingxue’s ears twitched. She had a bad feeling about this. Her intuition had always been sharp, a valuable asset in her past life.

She perched on the female lead’s shoulder, watching as she continued her incantations. Knowing the volatile personalities of demons, Bai Jingxue suspected the Demon Lord was about to blow her top.

She didn’t want to get involved, but she couldn’t help but think that even with the altered timeline, the female lead and the Demon Lord were destined to clash.

After what felt like an eternity, Luo Nianshang stopped chanting. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile.

“The restrictions held,” she murmured.

Bai Jingxue shook her head, speechless.

The wind picked up, and the clouds began to race past them.

Bai Jingxue watched as the villages below disappeared from view. The moon faded, and the first rays of dawn painted the mountains and rivers in hues of gold and rose.

The female lead’s voice, filled with conviction, reached her ears. “For the sake of all living things.”

Bai Jingxue closed her eyes. Protecting the innocent was Luo Nianshang’s driving force, a noble goal that had been corrupted by the events of the original story.

A flicker of uncertainty crossed her mind. What was her purpose? Why was she here?

In her past life, she wouldn’t have hesitated to answer. But now, she was lost.

By the time she surfaced from her thoughts, the main peak of the Ejian Sect, shrouded in mist, loomed before them.

Instead of returning to her temporary dwelling, Luo Nianshang headed straight for the sect’s disciplinary hall. She inspected the cell where the male lead had been held captive and retrieved a faint trace of demonic energy.

Then, without a word, she made her way to the main hall, where the sect leader resided.

“Greetings, Ancestor!”

“We pay our respects, Ancestor!”

Disciples lined the path, bowing low as she passed. Bai Jingxue noticed the slight tremor in the female lead’s shoulders.

Unlike her usual talkative self, Luo Nianshang remained silent, her face an impassive mask as she entered the grand hall.

The sect leader, a man with an imposing presence, greeted her with a respectful bow. “Greetings, Ancestor.”

Luo Nianshang didn’t waste time on pleasantries. Taking her place on the central dais, she placed the trace of demonic energy, the information she had gathered from the ancient texts, and the sketch of the male lead on the table.

“Issue a warrant for his arrest,” she commanded, her voice cold and resolute. “He is to be considered a threat to the sect and dealt with accordingly.”

With that, Luo Nianshang vanished.

Bai Jingxue blinked, and the next moment, she found herself back in the familiar, dreary confines of a stone chamber. Gone were the elegant furnishings of the grand hall.

This wasn’t the same chamber she had woken up in, but it was identical in its spartan simplicity, furnished with only a single futon.

As she surveyed her surroundings, her gaze fell upon a beautifully crafted miniature house nestled in a corner. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was a cat bed.

And before it lay a mountain of colorful yarn balls, the only splash of vibrancy in the otherwise austere chamber.

A sudden urge to play overcame her. She leaped down from the futon and batted at a green yarn ball, watching as it rolled across the floor.

Her mind was weary, but her body craved movement. She chased after the ball, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

Luo Nianshang watched the cat play, a small smile gracing her lips. She had been so focused on cultivation and her duties as protector of the realm that she hadn’t given much thought to worldly comforts. She had been worried that she had chosen poorly.

She adjusted the restrictions on the chamber entrance, allowing the cat free access.

Satisfied, she settled onto the futon, closed her eyes, and resumed her meditation.

Exhausted from her play session, Bai Jingxue curled up in her new bed. But as she drifted towards sleep, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of something approaching.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Sleep eluded her. But when she opened her eyes, there was nothing there, save for the meditating Luo Nianshang.

She paced the chamber, her anxiety growing with each passing moment. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she slipped out of the chamber and into the night.

They were at the peak of the mountain. Bai Jingxue shivered, the cool night air sending a tremor through her small body. She stretched, her claws digging into the stone.

And that’s when she heard it. The faint, but unmistakable sound of frantic barking. And then, a voice, carried by the wind, a voice she knew all too well.

“Jingxue! I’m coming for you!”

“Let go! It’s no use!”

Bai Jingxue looked down towards the foot of the mountain and saw Lü Qingyan, dragging a bewildered-looking Demon Lord behind her.

As if guided by fate, Lü Qingyan looked up, her gaze meeting Bai Jingxue’s across the vast expanse of night.

Suddenly, the Ejian Sect was bathed in blinding light. Alarms blared, rousing the disciples from their sleep.

“The Demon Lord is attacking!”

Chapter 3: A Reunion

The Demon Palace and Ejian Sect were separated by a vast distance, but such trivialities meant little to Luo Nianshang.

The relationship between the two realms was akin to fire and water, so this visit was kept strictly confidential.

Bai Jingxue nestled deep within the female lead’s sleeve, reluctant to emerge. She didn’t want to face Lü Qingyan, yet she couldn’t help but worry. She decided to steal a glance at her ex-girlfriend’s situation.

They flew over a seemingly endless expanse of withered forest until they reached a majestic palace, encircled by a river of blood. The Demon Realm wasn’t entirely composed of such gloomy landscapes, but this particular location, situated at the highest peak, offered a commanding view of the entire demon realm.

Luo Nianshang paused at the edge of the blood river, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

Peeking out from within the sleeve, Bai Jingxue began to recall the events of the novel.

A month after the female lead’s memory loss, the male lead would get involved with the Demon Lord. Consumed by jealousy, the female lead would confront the Demon Lord, sword in hand, only to be outsmarted by the male lead once again. The result? An unsavory scene involving all three of them in bed.

Bai Jingxue raised a paw to her forehead, wondering why she had ever subjected herself to such a novel.

Then, a memory surfaced. Lü Qingyan’s voice, laced with disgust and indignation, echoed in her mind. “I should have known better than to trust those recommendations. This is torture!”

Bai Jingxue, pushing her rimless glasses up her nose, replied nonchalantly, “Must you be so dramatic? You’re acting so immature.”

Those words had set Lü Qingyan off. “Oh, I’m immature, am I?” she retorted, glaring. “Fine, then you finish reading this trash and tell me how mature you feel!”

The memory faded, leaving Bai Jingxue with a feeling of weary resignation. She cursed her own competitive nature, which had forced her to endure that soul-crushing novel.

Composing herself, she peeked out at the barriers surrounding the Demon Palace. What she saw made her heart skip a beat. The barriers were so dense they completely obscured the palace from view.

No wonder the female lead in the novel had been at a loss. Even now, Luo Nianshang’s expression was a mixture of frustration and uncertainty.

Suddenly, Luo Nianshang crouched down and lifted the cat from her sleeve, placing her on the ground. Then, she began to talk, her usually stoic face etched with worry, her brow furrowed.

Unfortunately, Bai Jingxue was a cat. She couldn’t offer words of comfort or advice.

The Demon Lord was actually quite approachable. The poison pearl could be used to contact her directly. They could easily arrange a discreet meeting, eliminating the need to break through these barriers.

But such thoughts were useless. The only sound Bai Jingxue could produce was a series of pathetic meows.

Acknowledging her limitations, she rubbed her head against the female lead’s leg in a gesture of comfort.

Luo Nianshang, soothed by the soft fur, seemed to relax slightly. Perhaps because she knew the cat couldn’t understand her, she began to confide her worries.

The blood river before them was too thick to reflect their images. Looking at the layers upon layers of barriers, she sighed deeply.

Bai Jingxue turned to follow her gaze. The person she cared about most in her past life was right there, beyond those barriers.

She wondered if Lü Qingyan was eating well, if she was sleeping soundly.

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, a wave of sadness washed over her, and she let out a soft sigh, echoing the female lead’s despondency.

Luo Nianshang paused, then resumed her one-sided conversation, pouring out her heart to a cat.

“The barriers are getting stronger,” she murmured. “There weren’t nearly as many the last two times I came here.”

Bai Jingxue looked up at her, her expression unreadable.

“The current Demon Lord is not to be underestimated,” Luo Nianshang continued. “Her barriers are far more formidable than the previous two. Perhaps I should have spared their lives.”

Bai Jingxue’s ears twitched. She blinked slowly, her tail giving a single, hesitant wag.

What did she mean by “spared their lives?” Had she killed the previous two Demon Lords?

“Meow?” she questioned softly.

This time, Luo Nianshang seemed to understand. She began to explain, her voice calm and even, but her words were shocking.

She spoke of single-handedly storming eighty-four demon cities, cleaving the Demon Palace in two, and ultimately beheading the then-Demon Lord, scattering their soul.

The Demon Realm had fallen into disarray. Wounded, she had gone into seclusion. Upon emerging, she discovered that the Demon Realm had regrouped under a new Demon Lord who had been ruthlessly expanding her territory, destroying sects and slaughtering cultivators.

Once again, Luo Nianshang had taken up her sword, sweeping through the Demon Realm, invading the Demon Palace, and shattering the new Demon Lord’s soul. But the battle had taken its toll, planting a seed of darkness within her heart, forcing her back into seclusion.

When she finally emerged, she was met with an even more powerful Demon Lord. However, this one was surprisingly diplomatic. Despite minor skirmishes, the two realms had maintained a relatively peaceful coexistence.

Luo Nianshang’s frustration was palpable. “I don’t know how to deal with this… subtlety,” she admitted.

Bai Jingxue listened intently. She understood the source of Luo Nianshang’s frustration. The deaths of the previous two Demon Lords had cost the Demon Realm a third of its territory. The current Demon Lord, however, fought with honor, giving Luo Nianshang no justification to unleash her full power. And their cultivation levels were too close for comfort.

Looking at the troubled Luo Nianshang, Bai Jingxue realized that the female lead was accustomed to shouldering burdens alone. It had never occurred to her to seek assistance from other cultivators.

She also couldn’t help but think that the novel was utterly ridiculous. How could someone as formidable as Luo Nianshang transform into the lovesick fool portrayed in the book?

Licking her paw in bewilderment, Bai Jingxue was speechless.

Before she could dwell on it further, she was scooped back into Luo Nianshang’s sleeve.

Peeking out cautiously, she saw a figure emerge from the heavily guarded Demon Palace.

The newcomer was a vision of elegance. She wore a long, flowing gown that accentuated her graceful figure. Her eyes sparkled with intelligence, and a veil concealed the lower half of her face, revealing only a hint of a playful smile.

She was undeniably beautiful, but something about her felt off to Bai Jingxue.

Her high collar covered her neck, and her hands, she noticed, were covered by gloves. Her attire was surprisingly conservative.

Then it hit Bai Jingxue. This was why she seemed so different.

If even Bai Jingxue had noticed, then Luo Nianshang, a veteran of countless battles against the Demon Lord, would have picked up on it immediately.

She seemed about to comment but then hesitated, ultimately deciding against questioning the Demon Lord’s sudden change in style.

Personally, Luo Nianshang found the revealing attire favored by demons distasteful. The Demon Lord’s current outfit was far more agreeable.

However, her momentary surprise didn’t escape the Demon Lord’s notice. She had sensed the approach of the poison pearl and had come to greet them, her heart still heavy with resentment.

The wound on her chest ached, and the strange mark in her sea of consciousness remained a mystery.

But there was nothing she could do. Luo Nianshang was not someone she could afford to antagonize.

With a sigh, she plastered a charming smile on her face and greeted them warmly, “Venerable Luo, you should have sent word of your arrival. I would have prepared a proper welcome.”

“There’s no need for such formalities,” Luo Nianshang replied politely. “I came to apologize for the events of the other day. I was too hasty in my judgment.”

Their exchange was surprisingly civil, giving Bai Jingxue a strange sense of unreality. In the original story, their encounters were always filled with either thinly veiled barbs or outright hostility.

She decided it was pointless to dwell on the original plot and retreated further into the safety of the sleeve.

Due to their sensitive positions, they chose a secluded corner for their discussion.

Luo Nianshang’s gaze fell upon a strange, clothed creature huddled in the corner. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a dog… a completely shaved dog.

Startled by their entrance, the dog looked up, its large eyes filled with misery.

But upon recognizing Luo Nianshang, its demeanor changed instantly. It wagged its hairless tail and let out a series of excited whimpers. Luo Nianshang, however, couldn’t bring herself to pet the poor, bald creature.

Only Bai Jingxue understood what the dog was trying to convey. She was now certain that this was her ex-girlfriend, Lü Qingyan, but she wasn’t quite ready to acknowledge it.

A dog’s sense of smell was incredibly acute. Lü Qingyan knew Bai Jingxue was there.

“Jingxue! Come out here and see me!” she barked.

Unable to ignore her any longer, Bai Jingxue poked her head out of the sleeve. “Lü Qingyan? What happened to you?”

Lü Qingyan’s tail stopped wagging. “The Demon Lord is allergic to dog fur,” she said dejectedly. “She shaved it all off.”

Bai Jingxue suppressed a twitch of her whiskers and sighed. At least the Demon Lord hadn’t decided to turn her into dog stew. That was surprisingly kind.

Sensing a connection between the cat and the dog, Luo Nianshang suggested they play together. Once she confirmed that the dog wasn’t going to attack, she turned her attention back to the Demon Lord.

In a corner of the room sat two guqin, traditional stringed instruments. The cat and the dog settled beneath one of the instruments.

Bai Jingxue remained quiet, her demeanor as reserved as it had been in her past life. Lü Qingyan, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of energy, circling Bai Jingxue incessantly.

Her cheerful voice filled the air. “Jingxue, you wouldn’t believe it! The day those red bumps appeared on the Demon Lord, I thought I was going to be dog stew! I would never have seen you again!”

Bai Jingxue twitched an ear and shot her a sideways glance. The sight of her hairless body was almost too much to bear. She closed her eyes.

Oblivious to her own appearance, Lü Qingyan, in her excitement, suddenly grabbed Bai Jingxue by the scruff of her neck and leaped onto the guqin platform.

Gently depositing Bai Jingxue onto the platform, she leaped onto the opposite platform.

“Jingxue, watch this! I’ll play you a song!” she declared, her voice filled with pride.

The words were so familiar, so reminiscent of their time together. In their past life, Lü Qingyan would often try to cheer her up with a song.

She had been playing the guqin since childhood. Her music had a way of soothing even the most troubled soul.

Thankfully, the design of the guqin hadn’t changed in this world. Lü Qingyan placed her paws on the strings and paused dramatically.

Bai Jingxue hid a smile. She couldn’t wait to see how she planned to play the instrument with her paws.

The realization dawned on Lü Qingyan a moment later. Her face fell, and she began to swipe at the strings in frustration, creating a cacophony of discordant sounds.

The Demon Lord and Luo Nianshang, in the midst of their polite conversation, turned towards the source of the noise.

Lü Qingyan, consumed by her musical failure, remained oblivious to the Demon Lord’s increasingly dangerous expression.

Finally, she realized she was being watched. But instead of cowering, her frustration seemed to fuel her boldness. She barked at the Demon Lord, her voice sharp.

“What are you looking at? Haven’t you ever seen two birds enjoying a melody together?”

Unfortunately, the Demon Lord only heard a string of angry barks.

Sensing that dog stew was back on the menu, Luo Nianshang quickly produced the poison pearl, hoping to distract the Demon Lord.

“Here is your pearl,” she said calmly. “It sustained some damage when that thief used it to block my attack. I’ve done my best to repair it.”

She pushed the box containing the pearl towards the Demon Lord.

The Demon Lord stared at her impassive face for a moment before accepting the pearl. “Why don’t you stay for a few days, Venerable Luo?” she suggested, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Chapter 2: Longing

Upon waking, Bai Jingxue noticed tiny, luminous white dots within her field of vision. In some areas, the dots were so dense they formed a shimmering mist.

She watched as the dots eagerly surged into her body, bringing a pleasant sensation throughout her limbs. Bai Jingxue had a hunch about what they were.

This was most likely spiritual energy. Suppressing her surprise, she stretched lazily and sauntered towards the door.

Naturally, the female lead’s secluded cultivation chamber was heavily warded. The novel had mentioned it. What surprised Bai Jingxue was her ability to see these normally invisible barriers.

Every puzzle had a solution. Bai Jingxue was insatiably curious about the unknown, and she could now clearly perceive the flow of spiritual energy.

After observing for a while, she took a running leap, effortlessly bypassing the barriers and slipping out of the chamber.

Glancing back at the singed patch of fur on her back, Bai Jingxue shuddered. One wrong move, and she would have been sliced to ribbons.

Licking the singed fur, she carefully concealed herself in the undergrowth, listening to the approaching footsteps.

A man dressed in plain clothes cautiously approached the chamber. It was the male lead.

This world truly favored him. Even after being captured, he still managed to sneak back here.

Bai Jingxue discreetly watched his movements. He crept closer to the chamber and, with a pained expression, retrieved the poison pearl hidden in his eye.

The pearl was exquisitely beautiful, yet it emitted a foul, putrid odor that spread outwards. Upon contact with the protective barriers, it reacted violently, as if oil had been poured into a hot pan.

As the barriers dissolved, the male lead entered the chamber.

Bai Jingxue caught a whiff of an unusual scent. Her pupils constricted as she detected a layer of resentment clinging to the male lead.

The novel did mention this. After his rebirth, the male lead’s greatest asset was a powerful demonic cultivator residing in his right eye. Unlike the typical wise old mentor figure, this one sought only to possess the male lead’s body.

Of course, later on, the male lead would turn the tables and absorb the demonic cultivator’s power.

“Hah,” she thought, “just a couple of dogs biting each other.”

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Bai Jingxue was reminded of a certain white dog with a furiously wagging tail.

Pushing aside distractions, she silently approached the chamber.

Finally, the male lead’s voice reached her ears.

“Old demon, are you sure this drug will work?”

Another voice, old and gruff, replied with a hint of annoyance, “Hmph, this is a sacred aphrodisiac from the Hundred Beauties Sect. Do you think I would lie to you?”

The male lead stared at the pink pill in his hand, doubt clouding his face. After all, his target was the esteemed Sword Saint of the Ejian Sect.

Luo Nianshang of the Ejian Sect, whose swordsmanship could make even ghosts weep. It was a phrase even a three-year-old child could recite.

If it weren’t for her exceptional beauty, he wouldn’t have dared to take such a risk.

With gritted teeth, he crushed the pill in his hand. The powder mixed with the spiritual energy in the air, and the male lead vanished into a spatial rift created by the demonic cultivator.

Bai Jingxue stared at the now agitated spiritual energy, disgust welling up within her.

As she pondered how to save the female lead, she suddenly found herself lifted off the ground.

Luo Nianshang cradled the black cat in her arms, carefully examining her. Only when she confirmed that only a patch of fur had been singed did she relax.

Bai Jingxue struggled in her grasp, pointing a paw towards the chamber and meowing urgently.

“Don’t go in there! It’s been drugged!” she cried out in her mind.

Unfortunately, the female lead couldn’t understand her frantic meows. But when she followed the cat’s paw, she noticed the damaged barriers around her chamber.

She had lived for thousands of years. Such a blatant intrusion immediately aroused suspicion. Activating her spiritual vision, she scanned the area. What she saw shocked her to her core.

After taking the man to the sect’s disciplinary hall for interrogation, she descended the mountain to purchase supplies for her cat from a nearby town. But upon her return, she discovered that the man had vanished.

And the air was thick with the lingering scent of poison.

Luo Nianshang was furious. She finally understood the truth behind the Demon Lord’s words. “Despicable thief! How dare you commit such a heinous act!” she spat.

Bai Jingxue sensed her rage and swished her tail in confusion.

The female lead seemed to realize something was amiss, but then she reconsidered. The broken barriers were obvious. Only a fool wouldn’t be suspicious.

Bai Jingxue began to question her own assumptions. She had subconsciously believed that this world would favor the male lead, that other characters would remain oblivious as they were in the novel.

But it seemed she was wrong. This world operated on logic and reason. It was the male lead who was behaving erratically.

Bai Jingxue’s eyes widened with realization. If that were true, then perhaps the tragic events of the novel could be averted. But she couldn’t jump to conclusions just yet.

She flicked her tail, frustrated. As a cat, there was little she could do but observe and wait.

Luo Nianshang unleashed her spiritual pressure and divine sense. The wind on the mountaintop ceased instantly. The world seemed to grind to a halt. Only Bai Jingxue, protected by Luo Nianshang’s power, remained unaffected.

Despite this, the deathly silence sent chills down her spine. This was the true extent of the female lead’s power.

Suddenly, a rift tore open in the space beside the chamber, revealing the cowering figure of the male lead. His handsome face was pale with terror.

Luo Nianshang had found him. And she saw the shimmering poison pearl clutched tightly in his hand.

The truth was out. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned her sword from thin air. Her movements were a blur, and the next moment, a flash of light cleaved through the space where the male lead stood, splitting it in two.

Protected by the demonic cultivator’s power, the male lead narrowly escaped death. However, the sinister demonic energy that enveloped him revealed his final trump card.

Luo Nianshang, in her long life, recognized the signature of this demonic energy. Shock gave way to fury. Without hesitation, she struck again.

Snow began to fall under the clear, sunny sky. The encroaching frost froze everything in its path, including the spatial rift where the male lead hid.

Bai Jingxue, believing the male lead was done for, began to celebrate prematurely, her tail swishing excitedly.

But in a last-ditch effort to survive, the male lead flung the poison pearl at the incoming attack and, with the demonic cultivator’s help, vanished without a trace.

The pearl collided with the sword light. The light dissipated, and the pearl clattered to the ground, its brilliance slightly dimmed.

Bai Jingxue’s face, despite being covered in black fur, paled. The pearl was linked to the Demon Lord’s life force!

In the original story, the Demon Lord only became part of the harem because the male lead possessed this very pearl.

Luo Nianshang sheathed her sword and picked up the pearl, her expression grim. Not only had the culprit escaped right under her nose, but the presence of that demonic energy spelled trouble.

She stared at the pearl in her hand for a moment, then muttered to herself, “This object is far too dangerous. It would be best to destroy it.”

Bai Jingxue’s fur stood on end. She began to struggle in Luo Nianshang’s grasp, meowing frantically.

Her attention caught, Luo Nianshang stroked the cat’s head soothingly.

The soft fur calmed her racing heart, preventing her from acting rashly. But after careful consideration, she decided to place a series of restrictions on the pearl.

Currently, the conflict between the righteous and demonic sects was relatively subdued. The current Demon Lord wasn’t one to stir up trouble unnecessarily. Pushing her too far would only lead to more bloodshed.

She had wrongly accused the Demon Lord and should apologize and offer reparations. But the thought left her with a strange feeling.

Luo Nianshang wasn’t one to dwell on things. She quickly pushed aside her reservations.

Putting the pearl away, she began to deal with the aftermath.

Seeing the pearl safely stored, Bai Jingxue finally relaxed.

***

Meanwhile, in the heart of the opulent demon palace, the Demon Lord, deep in meditation, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Her rosy complexion turned deathly pale.

Lü Qingyan, startled awake by the metallic scent, rushed to the Demon Lord’s side, her tail wagging with concern.

The Demon Lord wiped the blood from her lips, her expression dark. With the poison pearl separated from her, her body was becoming increasingly mortal, her cultivation slowly dissipating.

But she couldn’t reveal how much she cared. It would only confirm the pearl’s importance.

A sword wound materialized on her chest, the blood freezing where it touched her skin.

The culprit behind this injury was obvious. However, it wasn’t the most concerning issue. The Demon Lord sensed a foreign presence in her sea of consciousness: a mark shaped like a miniature sword.

She glared at the mark, her teeth grinding in frustration. But there was nothing she could do.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

Lü Qingyan, sensing the Demon Lord’s injury, rested her paw on her leg. Within moments, the wound began to heal.

Lü Qingyan, eager for praise, was suddenly scooped up into the air.

“What exactly are you?” the Demon Lord demanded.

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

The Demon Lord stared at her for a moment before setting her down. This dog was surprisingly intelligent. It was a shame she couldn’t understand dog language.

Still, she needed a distraction. “Well done,” she said with a small smile. “What reward would you like?”

Lü Qingyan’s tail wagged excitedly. This was what she had been waiting for. As soon as her paws touched the ground, she used a stool to jump onto the desk and promptly dipped her paw into the inkwell.

She then jumped down and used her ink-stained paw to scrawl characters on the floor. The message was barely legible: “Find black cat.”

The Demon Lord frowned at the strange symbols. After a moment of thought, she asked, “What does this mean?”

Lü Qingyan was stunned. This was the communication method she had devised over the past few days. It seemed to be less effective than she had hoped. Frustrated, she spun in circles, whining and whimpering.

This was unbelievable. Never in a million years had she imagined that the Demon Lord would be illiterate!

The Demon Lord chuckled at the dog’s expressive face. Exhausted, she decided to let it go and closed her eyes to rest.

***

Meanwhile, in the grand hall of the Ejian Sect, Luo Nianshang sat alone, poring over ancient texts. Bai Jingxue watched her from a nearby perch.

As she watched, a headache began to form. The characters in this world were entirely different from those of her previous life, far more complex and intricate.

Giving up on her attempt to decipher them, she began to bat at her tail.

Whenever Luo Nianshang looked up from her studies, her gaze would soften as she patted the cat’s head. Then, with renewed focus, she would return to her books.

Gradually, Bai Jingxue realized that the female lead wasn’t as cold and unapproachable as the novel portrayed her to be. It was only when they were alone that she allowed her gentle side to show.

Even her tail lost its appeal. Watching Luo Nianshang’s focused expression, she was reminded of someone else whose handwriting had been atrocious.

She wondered how her ex-girlfriend was doing.

That idiot never took care of herself. It was always something to worry about.

Bai Jingxue lowered her ears. She told herself she couldn’t interfere in this life.

Silence descended upon the hall, broken only by the rustling of parchment.