The Demon Heart felt like it was finished.
Truly finished. It had been its idea—making its fastidious master mingle among a pile of beggars. Not only had it failed to lure out the Heavenly Dao, it had instead attracted a woman even more vicious than their demon race.
With the bloodstained handkerchief thrown onto his face, combined with the squalid surroundings of the beggar heap, Xiao Jingchen felt a faint ache forming at his temples.
Why had Wen Shuyu passed by here of all places?
And she wasn’t done with him yet.
“Next time I pass by here, I’d better see that you’ve killed all those who bullied you, instead of getting beaten into this state again.”
“If you’re still this useless, I’ll have someone beat you up myself!”
“You disgraceful thing!”
Little Six was stunned.
What are you even doing?! You’re the Heavenly Dao! You act more like a Demon Lord than the Demon Lord himself! Did you two swap roles in the script?!
Its voice trembled. [My lord, let’s go. I might have identified him wrong. He doesn’t seem like the Demon Lord—let’s leave, quickly!]
It was afraid that if they stayed even a second longer, the Demon Lord—who might not have become one yet—would be forced into becoming a true devil by its own Heavenly Dao.
Until it found a way to suppress the demonic energy within her, it would never bring her to search for the Demon Lord again. It was too terrifying—under the influence of the demonic bone, she was even more like a demon than the Demon Lord himself.
Before leaving, Wen Shuyu didn’t forget to kick the already crushed, filthy bun far away right in front of Xiao Jingchen’s eyes.
“Let me tell you—this world runs on the law of the jungle. The strong rule, and only the powerful have the right to define the rules. As long as you’re weak, even your existence is a mistake.”
“If I see you again and you’re still this useless, I won’t be kicking a bun—I’ll be kicking you.”
A thick, snow-white fox-fur cloak, carrying a faint fragrance, was tossed onto Xiao Jingchen’s body. The pearls embroidered onto it struck lightly against his head.
Along with it, a bottle of wound medicine and several pastries wrapped in a handkerchief rolled to his feet.
Only after Wen Shuyu’s figure disappeared did the air settle.
The Demon Heart had been secretly watching its master’s expression. As it saw the light in Xiao Jingchen’s eyes darken, it immediately sensed something was wrong.
“Who was that?! Your Excellency, she’s too much! She humiliated you like that—called you useless, even kicked away your bun! Just wait—calm down, I’ll go peel her skin off!”
Xiao Jingchen rose and lifted a hand. Wherever his spiritual energy passed, his body returned to normal, restoring his usual breathtaking elegance and refined bearing.
He picked up the fox-fur cloak, gently brushed off the dust, then gathered the wound medicine and the handkerchief.
His gaze turned icy as it fell upon the Demon Heart. “Where is the Heavenly Dao?”
The Demon Heart’s heart skipped a beat. “Your Excellency, listen to my explanation—no, my defense—this was an accident! Who knew where that damned Heavenly Dao disappeared to?”
“And we even ran into such a vicious woman… Your Excellency, next time, next time I will definitely—”
Xiao Jingchen’s voice was smooth as jade, his lips curved in a faint smile as he interrupted lightly, “I do not keep useless things by my side.”
Those words made the Demon Heart’s expression change drastically. It dropped to its knees at once. “Your Excellency, I was wrong. Please give me another chance.”
Xiao Jingchen turned and left, his voice lingering behind, impossible to read.
“You should be able to take human form. Then do something useful. Starting tomorrow, go to the beggar camps and refugee slums of the capital every day and distribute porridge—in Wen Shuyu’s name. Her reputation is too poor.”
The Demon Heart: ?
Wen Shuyu? Who?
Wait—it was the Demon Heart! In any proper script, it was the chief lackey of the ultimate villain! Why was it being told to do charity work like some righteous faction?
This was completely upside down.
This must be punishment from its master—a test of its will.
No, it had to do this well and make its master see it in a new light. The Demon Heart steeled its resolve.
…
Ever since that night at the beggar heap, the Qilin Beast had shut itself off, burying itself in ancient texts in search of a way to suppress demonic bones and demonic energy.
As for Wen Shuyu, she stayed indoors for two days and finally finished writing her “Forty-Two Strategies.”
Her fingertip brushed across “Strategy One.” Yes—using her brain to pursue someone would definitely yield different results.
She nodded in satisfaction, confidence filling her chest as she prepared to head out.
Before leaving, she glanced at the Qilin Beast. “I’m going out. Coming with me?”
Little Six had practically buried its entire head in a pile of books, its body pinned down beneath stacks of them, only its tail sticking out and swaying in the air.
It shook the books off and crawled out. “Where to?”
“Chasing someone.”
Little Six: “…”
It shook its head. “I need to study the demonic bone and energy. My lord, you’ve been too heavily affected by it. What you said to the Demon Lord that night has kept me awake ever since.”
Wen Shuyu shrugged indifferently. “That Demon Lord—the boy—I’m telling you, if he keeps getting bullied and beaten, letting resentment build up, that’s what will push him into becoming a demon. Teaching him to fight back, to cultivate, to kill those who bully him—maybe that could steer him back onto the right path.”
“There’s also another possibility—he’s already cultivating and even knows he’s the Heavenly Dao’s sworn enemy. Maybe he was pretending like that to lure the Heavenly Dao out, and once he finds her, who knows what he plans to do. So we have to act vicious, so he doesn’t mistake us for the Heavenly Dao.”
“After all, I don’t have a spiritual bone right now and can’t cultivate. His aptitude is so good—if I really am the Heavenly Dao and expose myself too early, without my memories, I won’t be able to beat him. I’ll die.”
“I think the reason you can’t sleep is because you’re too idle during the day. You should find some work at night—cleaning chamber pots or something. Get tired, and you’ll fall asleep naturally.”
Little Six: “…”
Before it could even process her words, Wen Shuyu had already run off to the Eastern Palace to chase her man.
Meanwhile, the entire capital was puzzled. Wen Shuyu hadn’t pestered the Crown Prince for two days—had she suddenly changed her nature?
The person in question had already arrived at the gates of the Eastern Palace with her “Strategy One” from the “Forty-Two Strategies.”
The guards and eunuchs at the gate couldn’t stop her.
“Your Highness, please slow down! Let this servant report first—the Crown Prince is bathing right now. Please don’t rush inside—”
Wen Shuyu didn’t believe it. “Bathing in broad daylight? If he doesn’t want to see me, just say so. And you—if you want to stop me, just admit it. What kind of excuse is that?”
What exactly was Xiao Jingchen doing in the middle of the day?
She flipped open her storage pouch, pinched a swift talisman between her fingers, pushed open the inner hall doors, and charged inside.
No one behind her dared to truly stop her—they could only retreat. If she got hurt, the Empress Dowager and Empress would surely have their heads.
The moment the doors burst open—
Mist curled through the air like drifting smoke. Within a white jade pool, Xiao Jingchen leaned against the edge. Warm water lapped over his porcelain-like skin, dampening his dark hair.
On his breathtakingly beautiful face, long lashes beaded with droplets slowly lifted, meeting Wen Shuyu’s gaze.
“Wen Shuyu… you’re causing trouble again…”