Chapter 70

“This lord does not wish to go.”

Four cold, indifferent words.

Bai Shuo’s heart turned to ice.

Her little disciple hadn’t disappeared, but he was gone forever.

The Unruly City had no master, yet it lay at the edge of the demon realm.

Who, but a demigod, could reach it in an instant?

The Illusory Demon Butterflies were born with a thirst for blood.

If they hadn’t been wary, why would they have spared her?

The Purple Moon Lake was a divine relic of the demon gods, existing only in legends for millennia.

For a little rabbit demon to know its location was nothing but a joke.

She had always known he was Fan Yue, not Mumu, but what if…?

Ah Zhao was already an immortal Lord. He was destined to ascend to the Heavenly Palace, embarking on an immortal journey that would span millions of years.

The path she could walk with him ended here.

A half-immortal like Bai Shuo could only live for a hundred years.

What if her Mumu had been willing to spend a few decades with her in Nanhai City as carefree master and disciple?

She had traveled alone for thousands of miles to Wutong Island, mustering all her courage to take this gamble, but she had lost.

When she chose to awaken the Lord of Haoyue Palace in the palace of the Yi city, she should have known that her little disciple would never return.

Bai Shuo looked up in a daze, meeting a pair of cold, angry eyes.

“To save Chong Zhao, you deceived me into forming a soul contract with you. To protect Piaomiao, you coaxed me into becoming a helpless spirit.”

“No, I didn’t…”

Bai Shuo hurriedly tried to explain.

“Master? Nanhai City?”

Fan Yue let out a mocking laugh, flicking his sleeve.

The flower pouch and the Yaochi water in Bai Shuo’s hands fell to the ground.

Her face paled.

Fan Yue stepped forward, his cold hand gripping Bai Shuo’s chin.

“A mere half-immortal, daring to play me for a fool. Bai Shuo, who do you think you are?”

The Lord of Haoyue Palace was furious, yet his eyes remained indifferent.

A flood of words choked in Bai Shuo’s chest, but she couldn’t utter a single one.

Before she could speak again, a flash of spiritual light blinded her, and Fan Yue whisked her away from the Purple Moon Lake.

The sound of decadent music filled her ears, and the scene before her was one of bustling noise and chaos. By the time Bai Shuo regained her senses, she was standing on an unfamiliar staircase.

The hall was filled with glazed lanterns, and the floor was paved with jade and spiritual stones.

The sheer opulence before her eyes left Bai Shuo stunned.

Just then, raucous laughter erupted from below.

Bai Shuo looked down.

The first floor was packed with burly demon lords, their greedy eyes fixed on the center.

On a massive mirror, young girls danced gracefully, one by one being chosen and pulled into the arms of the demons, who laughed and teased them.

The Unruly City ? That tower? Why had the big demon brought her here?

“In Nanhai City, do you remember what you made me do?”

A cold voice whispered in her ear.

Bai Shuo froze.

The scene of her little disciple frowning as he was surrounded by female lords at the fortune-telling stall, while she happily collected spiritual beads, overlapped strangely with the scene before her.

No way… A strange unease settled in Bai Shuo’s heart.

Was the big demon planning to…?

“N-no, I don’t remember,” Bai Shuo stammered, her tongue tied.

“You don’t remember? Shall I help you recall?”

“N-no need…”

Bai Shuo’s scalp tingled, and she tried to run, but the person behind her blocked her on the stairs.

“Do you know why this place is called the Unruly City?” A strangely sinister voice whispered by her neck, sending a chill down her spine.

Bai Shuo was momentarily dazed.

“Why?”

“Because here, there are no rules. Everything can be taken. That’s why it’s called ‘unruly.'”

Before Bai Shuo could fully grasp his words, she was suddenly lifted and thrown downward.

“Ahhhhh!”

A gust of wind swept past, and with a loud thud, something landed on the mirror.

The dancing girls on the mirror screamed and scattered, but when they saw what had landed in the center, their fear turned to curiosity.

The hall fell silent.

The demons stared in shock at the small creature on the mirror, unable to contain their exclamations.

“A fox!”

Bai Shuo’s head spun.

When she opened her eyes, everything seemed taller than her.

Pairs of greedy eyes looked down at her.

“What the…?” Bai Shuo tried to speak, but all that came out was a soft, muffled “chirp.”

Bai Shuo was stunned.

She looked down and saw a soft, snow-white little fox reflected in the mirror.

Around its neck hung a jade flute, swaying clumsily with every movement.

Bai Shuo reached out her hand, and the little fox also extended its paw.

Unsteady, it tumbled onto the mirror, landing on its back with all four paws in the air.

Looking up, the little fox opened its eyes wide and saw that the Lord of Haoyue Palace, now dressed in red, had lazily taken a seat on the red jade recliner at the far end of the second floor.

The people in the hall were startled to see someone occupying the red jade chair.

They all rose in unison and bowed to Fan Yue.

“Greetings, Tower Master.”

The Unruly city had no master, but everyone knew that the owner of the red jade chair in the Unrestrained Tower was the underground king of the city.

No one had ever seen the true face of the Tower Master, but this throne was his symbol.

Fan Yue rested his head on his hand and glanced down, his voice low and hoarse.

“Nothing serious. This white fox is here to entertain you all. The first one to take the jade flute from her neck can have her.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent for a moment before erupting into thunderous cheers.

Only Bai Shuo, her eyes wide, turned into a bristling fox.

Ugh! Black-hearted! Petty!

The fox clan had always held a high status among the demons.

While the City of Unrestrained Pleasure was home to all kinds of spirits, the fox clan had never been hunted.

To obtain a white fox would be the talk of the city for a decade!

The demon lords in the hall, all lawless individuals, immediately sprang into action as soon as Fan Yue finished speaking.

One demon leaped toward the mirror.

A gust of wind swept past, and Bai Shuo’s fur stood on end.

But having been accustomed to walking on two legs, she found it incredibly difficult to maneuver on four paws!

Her two little fox paws barely lifted half an inch off the ground before she slipped on the smooth surface of the mirror, tumbling comically onto her face.

“Oh, be careful! Be careful!”

The girls who had retreated to the side watched with hearts full of pity, wishing they could scoop up the little white fox and cradle her in their arms.

On the jade throne, the man sipping wine watched the little creature with an indifferent expression.

Fan Yue had seen countless humans, immortals, and demons.

If anyone had the most cunning heart, it was this half-immortal named Bai Shuo.

Perhaps Bai Shuo was lucky.

Her fall caused the first demon lord to miss his grab.

By the time he turned to try again, five or six other demon lords had already leaped onto the mirror, blocking his path.

In an instant, the mirror was filled with surging demonic energy, swords and blades flashing.

What had started as a competition among dancers had turned into a battle of spiritual energy among the demon lords.

The little white fox darted back and forth across the mirror, occasionally stealing a glance at the man on the throne.

But from beginning to end, he showed no reaction, watching the scene below as if it were a play.

The little fox’s eyes dimmed.

Just then, a demon lord below seized an opening, leaped onto the stage, and lashed out with a long whip aimed directly at Bai Shuo’s neck in the corner.

The Tower Master had only asked for the jade flute to be taken; he hadn’t mentioned anything about life and death.

This demon lord, who took pleasure in killing, saw the untransformed fox as nothing more than a pet.

Winning the top spot tonight would make him the hero of the Unruly city.

Bai Shuo, already distracted, only realized she was in danger when she heard the girls’ screams.

The killing intent of the whip had locked onto her, leaving her unable to move.

Her pupils contracted as she watched the whip hurtle toward her neck.

On the jade throne, Fan Yue, who had been casually toying with his wine cup, paused.

His eyes darkened.

On the mirror, the chaotic demonic energy that had been scattered during the battle suddenly coalesced and surged toward the attacking demon lord.

Countless weapons flew in, forcefully knocking the whip away just as it was about to strike Bai Shuo.

The demons turned their heads, seeing someone trying to take advantage.

Without a word, they joined forces and began to gang up on the dishonorable demon lord.

As the killing intent around Bai Shuo dissipated, she quickly sprang up.

The girls gasped, and the demons turned to see the little fox, which had been so clumsy moments ago, now leaping gracefully across the mirror.

Like a gust of wind, she dashed toward the jade steps and jumped onto the red jade couch.

Such speed, such agility!

The hall fell silent, and the demons’ mouths twitched.

Truly as cunning as a fox!

Before the demons could process what had happened, another sudden change occurred.

Under the gaze of the entire hall, the little white fox reached out with her paw, pulled the jade flute from her neck, and pressed it into the hands of the Tower Master.

What had the Tower Master said earlier?

The first one to take the jade flute from the little fox’s neck could have her.

Now, the jade flute was in the Tower Master’s hands.

All the demons turned their eyes to the man on the red jade throne.

A flicker of surprise passed through Fan Yue’s indifferent eyes.

He looked down to see the pitiful little white fox pressing the jade flute into his hand, her wide eyes staring up at him, her soft paws trembling slightly.

Suddenly, the Lord of Haoyue Palace realized that the heavy feeling in his chest, which had lingered since his awakening, had dissipated quite simply.

This half-immortal, with her seven-aperture cunning heart, was almost an insult to describe her.

How could there be something so clever and endearing in the world?

It’s a pity she wasn’t his.

Bai Shuo struggled to keep her two little paws steady.

If it weren’t for the fear of losing face, she would have wagged her tail.

But the Lord of Haoyue Palace only looked at her with amusement, showing no reaction.

Even this wouldn’t work?

Forget it, she was going all out.

Dignity was something she never had anyway.

Bai Shuo gritted her teeth, about to raise her tail.

Suddenly, the world spun around her.

Amid the gasps of the crowd, she was lifted by a pair of slender hands and placed into a cool embrace.

“She’s mine now. Tonight, the Unrestrained Tower will feast the entire city. Enjoy yourselves.”

The lazy voice echoed from the end of the jade steps.

Before the demons could react, the man and the fox on the red jade throne had disappeared.

On the glazed mirror, the demons who had been fighting to the death moments ago now looked at each other in confusion.

Before they could curse, the charming girls approached with soft laughter, and the seductive music filled the air.

With beauties in their arms and the pleasures of the Unrestrained Tower at their fingertips, the chaotic battle quickly became nothing more than a amusing anecdote.

With a soft thud, the little white fox landed on a patch of soft grass.

The purple moon rippled on the lake’s surface, as if the extravagant and bloody farce had never happened.

“Petty! Black-hearted…” The little fox began to vent her anger, only to realize that her voice echoed loudly in the quiet lakeside.

She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide.

Oh no, when had she turned back into a human?

“Why did you stop?”

Fan Yue leaned against a tree, his red robes fluttering in the wind.

His lazy eyes, though still indifferent, were strikingly captivating.

He actually seemed to be in a good mood.

Bai Shuo was momentarily stunned but quickly regained her composure, lowering her head meekly.

“Lord.”

The man under the tree glanced at her, raised an eyebrow, and then turned to leave.

What was going on?

“L-Lord!” Bai Shuo hurried after him, grabbing the hem of his robe in confusion.

“Where are you going?”

Fan Yue turned back, answering as if it were obvious.

“Naturally, I’m returning to Wutong Island.”

Bai Shuo pointed at herself, dumbfounded.

“Then… what about me?”

Fan Yue narrowed his eyes, the jade flute appearing in his palm.

“You chose to become a member of Haoyue Palace.”

Was the big demon planning to abandon her in the demon realm?

“No!” Bai Shuo blurted out.

“I have to go back.”

“Go back?”

Fan Yue’s voice turned cold.

“Piaomiao has already cast you out. You’re a half-immortal. What difference does it make whether you’re in Nanhai City or Haoyue Palace?”

“I… I…” Bai Shuo stammered.

For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to say that she wanted to return for Ah Zhao’s sake.

“Oh, I remember now…”

Fan Yue’s voice grew colder as he leaned down, staring at Bai Shuo with a mocking smile.

“You made a promise to that Chong Zhao.”

“I…” Bai Shuo was sweating with anxiety.

She gritted her teeth and grabbed Fan Yue’s wrist.

“Lord, I’m willing to return to Haoyue Palace with you, but before the banquet of the two clans, I must go back to see Ah Zhao. I have something very important…”

Before Bai Shuo could finish, her chin was roughly grabbed.

The previously calm Lord of Haoyue Palace now looked at her with disdain.

“You’re willing? Bai Shuo, do you think I keep you by my side for no reason?”

Bai Shuo was stunned.

“After humiliating and toying with me like that, killing you would be too easy. Do you think Haoyue Palace is a place you can come and go as you please?”

Fan Yue’s eyes were icy cold, as if the person who had held her in his arms in the Unrestrained Tower moments ago was someone else entirely.

“No, I’m going back because…”

Bai Shuo hurriedly tried to explain, but Fan Yue had no patience to listen.

With a wave of his hand, a barrier formed in front of her.

“Big Demon! What are you doing?!”

Bai Shuo rushed toward Fan Yue but was blocked by the barrier, falling to the ground with a thud.

Fan Yue frowned slightly, no longer looking at her, and spoke coldly, “Stay here quietly. I’ll return in a day.”

“No, Big Demon, I promised…”

Before Bai Shuo could finish, Fan Yue shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the horizon.

“Big Demon! Fan Yue!” Bai Shuo scrambled to her feet and charged at the barrier again, only to be flung back to the lakeside.

Her face was filled with anxiety.

Under the moonlight, the figure by the Purple Moon Lake gradually faded into a distant speck.