Xie Shiqi had truly never imagined that the little human cultivator he had foolishly kept at his side for a time would bring him so much trouble. In the year since he had seized the position of Demon Venerable, he had been laying plans to lure the snake out of its hole, and the person behind everything had indeed been unable to hold back. The remnants of the former Demon Venerable’s forces launched a rebellion. He had pretended to be no match for them and allowed himself to be captured, finally meeting that person behind the scenes once more. But his opponent had the advantage in numbers and was exceptionally wary. At the critical moment, he had narrowly escaped with his life…
After missing his opportunity, he had been besieged and seriously wounded, so he had hidden inside this secret realm. That person’s subordinates had chased him in as well. During the ensuing melee, they had torn apart the space of the secret realm and fallen into this barren desert, which was lacking in spiritual energy.
When he first met Luo Ningning a few days ago, the few great demons Xie Shiqi killed had only been a small portion of the pursuers. There were still several high-level great demons whose whereabouts were unknown, searching for his trail. This little human cultivator’s cultivation was weak, but she had considerable attainments in medicine and had actually been able to help him suppress his chaotic demonic qi. He had to recover as quickly as possible, which was why he had kept her at his side. He had made that decision because he was certain that her spiritual power was weak and she posed no threat. He had never expected…
The little human cultivator could wipe her face dozens of times a day, complain that the food he hunted smelled fishy, insist on bathing every day with clean water, and cry out that she was tired after channeling spiritual energy for the time it took an incense stick to burn, then complain for half an hour. If the wind blew on her, she said her face hurt. If she sat on the ground, she said her bones hurt. When he refused to let her sleep beside him, she secretly cursed him for being stingy. Even when she merely yawned, she had to say he was fierce.
Xie Shiqi had seen delicate female demons and female cultivators before, but this was the first time he had encountered someone whose fussiness was so peerless and unprecedented. And yet this person’s fussiness was entirely innate, carved into her bones and fused into every breath she took… As though she had been born to be a pampered little fairy.
Xie Shiqi had always been irritated by such delicate girls. These past few days, for the sake of her usefulness, he had repeatedly broken his own rules, yielded, and endured. But she was something else. Every now and then, she would look at him with a plaintive, accusing gaze, as though he were the one who had wronged her.
For example, right now, it was clearly this person who had looked at him with eager, pleading eyes for help. He had had no choice but to lower himself to lick her wound for her—a method he himself had used to make do when he was young and had no money to see a doctor. Yet she abruptly stopped crying. Her eyes were still misty with tears, her skin was still soft and rosy, and her voice was still sweet and gentle, but what she said was, “Y-you’re trying to kill me?!”
Luo Ningning was so shocked and frightened that she practically thought she had misheard him! Although she had heard that some wild animals used their saliva to treat external wounds, this was a wolf! She had seen it eating. Its tongue was covered in rough, backward-facing barbs, uneven like sandpaper! She was already injured. If it licked her wound…
Wouldn’t it tear off a layer of her skin?
That thought frightened courage into her. While tears streamed down her face, she finally cleaned her wound herself… and her movements were exceptionally decisive and swift.
The wolf bared its teeth beside her. “I was trying to harm you? If you hadn’t secretly run away and had stayed properly at my side, would you have run into this sort of trouble?”
Luo Ningning trembled as she cried back, “How can you blame this on me? If you were willing to let me leave, would I have needed to escape in the middle of the night? If I hadn’t escaped in the middle of the night, would I have run into these two things? What did I do wrong?”
Such twisted logic made Xie Shiqi want to sneer and retort. This place was full of dangers. Did she really think she wouldn’t run into dangerous creatures if she chose an auspicious day to leave instead? But Luo Ningning was crying as though she might faint at any moment. Irritated, Xie Shiqi paced two more steps before finally giving a heavy snort.
“Fine. It’s this lord’s fault after all!”
Luo Ningning had no time to deal with him. She took out a small porcelain bottle and applied ointment to her wound, whimpering as she did so. Fortunately, the ointment was excellent. It promoted flesh regeneration, stopped the bleeding, and eased the pain. Luo Ningning gradually recovered and finally stopped crying.
Then the giant wolf suddenly asked in a strange voice, “What is that?”
Luo Ningning put away the small bottle. “White Jade Ointment. It treats external injuries…”
Her words came to a halt. Slowly, she raised her head to look at the giant wolf… and finally remembered that the giant wolf had once asked whether she had any medicine for wounds, while she had answered with utmost sincerity that she did not.
…This was a little awkward.
Luo Ningning took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from her face, speaking vaguely. “I suddenly remembered that I have a bottle of White Jade Ointment… Do you want to use it?”
Xie Shiqi’s expression was blank. “I do.”
Luo Ningning had only been politely offering it because she felt compelled to. She had not expected the wolf to actually want it. Unwilling to hand over the small porcelain bottle, she advised him, “But your wounds are almost healed.”
Xie Shiqi stated the facts. “Even almost healed, they’re still more serious than this little cut of yours.”
Luo Ningning became displeased. “You’re so huge. A single bottle of White Jade Ointment won’t be enough for you anyway. You should leave it for me.”
Xie Shiqi was genuinely about to laugh from anger. “Fine. I don’t want the ointment. But have you perhaps suddenly remembered that you have some pills for internal injuries as well?”
Luo Ningning hesitated for a moment. Thinking of how she would have suffered a much more serious injury if this wolf had not appeared in time, she still reached into her sleeve. Reluctantly, she brought out a small porcelain bottle.
“Then take this. Snow Ginseng Pills. They repair the meridians and regulate spiritual energy, so they’re just right for you. These are the best pills I currently have.”
She opened the small porcelain bottle. Xie Shiqi sniffed it, then bit down on the bottle and swallowed all the pills inside. He lay down where he was and began regulating his breathing, while Luo Ningning tidied herself up beside him.
The wolf had discovered that she was escaping, yet it had not held it against her. Instead, it had followed after her and rescued her. Luo Ningning was beginning to realize that there might be room for negotiation in the words it had spoken: “I won’t take the risk of letting you leave.”
This inheritance ground was filled with dangers. It was far too dangerous for her to travel alone. Even if she did not lose her life when she encountered another fierce beast, she would inevitably be injured. Having just been wounded once, Luo Ningning was still shaken and did not want to risk traveling alone again.
In that case…
Once the giant wolf finished regulating its breathing, Luo Ningning asked with exceptional gentleness and concern, “Wolf Lord, are you feeling any better?”
The pills had indeed been somewhat effective, easing the tearing pain in Xie Shiqi’s meridians caused by recklessly using demonic qi. He gave a quiet “Mm.”
“Have you ‘suddenly remembered’ whether you have a few more bottles of Snow Ginseng Pills?”
Luo Ningning choked. “…I really don’t!”
She moved closer to the giant wolf. “Wolf Lord, can I discuss something with you?”
Xie Shiqi glanced at her without responding. Luo Ningning continued on her own, “You rescued me tonight, so we can be considered comrades who have shared life and death. To be honest, I came to this secret realm to wait for someone. You don’t need to worry that I’ll reveal your whereabouts, because once I find him, I’ll leave here immediately. I’m not interested in your conflict with the other great demons. I guarantee that I’ll keep meeting you a secret.”
Xie Shiqi lifted his eyelids slightly. “So?”
Luo Ningning smiled sweetly and obediently. “So, how about we make an agreement? You and I will travel together for this period. I’ll do everything I can to treat you, and you’ll protect me. Once that person arrives, you’ll take me to find him.”
She extended her slender, pale hand, her eyes shining with anticipation as she looked at Xie Shiqi. After a moment, Xie Shiqi lifted a paw and touched the palm with his large paw pad.
“Deal.”
Luo Ningning had gone from prisoner to cooperative partner in a single leap, and she felt she could finally hold her head a little higher!
Thus, when the giant wolf suddenly stood up and once again lowered its head toward her, Luo Ningning hurriedly raised both hands and firmly pressed them against its large black nose.
“Wait, wait, wait! Wolf Lord, what kind of relationship do we have now? How can you still carry me around by the scruff of my neck?”
Xie Shiqi lowered his voice. “A great demon is coming this way. We must leave as quickly as possible.”
Luo Ningning froze for a moment. She was somewhat curious how severe the giant wolf’s injuries really were, or how powerful its enemy was, that it could make the wolf so wary. But she did not ask. She merely made another request at once.
“Then can I sit on your back? I was injured tonight. Take care of me a little.”
Xie Shiqi rejected her immediately. “No. In my clan, only parents, wife, and children may sit on my back.”
Luo Ningning could not insist after that. She pursed her lips, summoned her boat-shaped magical artifact, and sat inside it. Xie Shiqi assumed she intended to fly by herself. Under normal circumstances, he could have endured her speed, but not now.
Before he had time to speak, however, he heard Luo Ningning say, “All right, then you carry this little boat in your mouth.”
Xie Shiqi: “?? What difference does that make?”
Luo Ningning answered with complete justification, “The little boat is a flying magical artifact. It has a wind-shielding function.”
Xie Shiqi: “…”
Flying magical artifacts really were wonderful. The treatment given to a cooperative partner was truly generous.
Luo Ningning lay comfortably inside the little boat and looked up at the starry sky. Apart from the unavoidable rising and falling along the way, she did not feel any wind at all, nor did she feel the slightest bump.
Luo Ningning marveled at what a clever little genius she was. She had been secretly plotting for the past few days, and after suffering for so long, she had finally been able to relax both body and mind. She nearly fell asleep while Wolf Lord was fleeing with her.
Half asleep and half awake, she felt her body jolt. It seemed that the little boat had been set down. Only then did Luo Ningning wake up fully. With boneless languor, she leaned against the boat and sat up.
She rubbed her bleary eyes and looked around. They had arrived at another oasis. It seemed that the giant wolf had successfully shaken off the enemy. It was lying beneath a tree, its breathing somewhat rough.
“There’s a stream nearby. Go bathe there yourself.”
After saying this, it closed its eyes, clearly intending to regulate its breathing again. Luo Ningning rose, put away the boat, and hesitated.
Only now did she notice that the wolf seemed to be in poor condition… Had its injuries worsened? But apart from fighting the crow and the giant snake tonight, it had done nothing else. Its wounds, which had been deep enough to expose the bone when they first met, really had nearly healed. Luo Ningning had even marveled at its regenerative ability.
Yet over the past few days, while channeling spiritual energy into it, she had faintly sensed that its meridians were still a complete mess, covered in tears and corrosion caused by demonic qi.
These past few days, it had never used demonic qi while hunting demonic beasts. Tonight, it had specifically asked her for medicine to treat internal injuries, which showed that it knew about the problem with its meridians. But in order to kill the crow that had become entangled in battle with her as quickly as possible, it had still used demonic qi as a weapon.
Luo Ningning slowly walked toward the stream, but her steps eventually came to a halt.
This… Could it be that this wolf’s injuries had worsened because it had saved her?
…It had not said a word even after its injuries worsened, nor had it urged her to channel spiritual energy into it again. Instead, it had remembered that she had not bathed today and had deliberately found a place to settle beside a stream.
This wolf didn’t seem entirely bad after all…
Luo Ningning felt a little guilty. She slowly turned back and crouched beside the giant wolf.
Xie Shiqi lifted his eyelids to look at her. Luo Ningning put a Qi Condensation Pill into her mouth and sighed.
“Forget it. I’ll channel some spiritual energy into you first.”
She ultimately added, “Although my spiritual power is weak and I can’t fully examine your meridians, your condition is very bad. Using demonic qi recklessly will corrode your body. Don’t use demonic qi to fight anymore.”
Xie Shiqi closed his eyes. A familiar, low sneer came from his black nose.
“As if I need you to tell me… I know.”
By the time Luo Ningning finished bathing, it was already the Hour of the Tiger. She had truly been exhausted tonight. She had escaped and fought, then forced herself to take medicine despite her weakness and channeled spiritual energy into the giant wolf once.
She felt that she had performed very well and ought to receive a reward. Thus, she approached the giant wolf again.
“Wolf Lord, I’ll cast a cleansing spell on you too. You’ll feel more comfortable.”
Xie Shiqi did not answer. He quietly closed his eyes, as if he were asleep. Luo Ningning simply cast the spell directly and cleaned the giant wolf.
Its white fur became fluffy, soft, dry, and comfortable once again, the perfect image of a self-heating blanket.
Luo Ningning’s cheeks flushed with excitement. She quietly sat beside the giant wolf’s legs and leaned toward it.
Only then did Xie Shiqi open his eyes. He lifted a paw and pushed her away.
Luo Ningning was knocked so hard that she nearly rolled away. She turned back and glared at Xie Shiqi.
“Wolf Lord, I endured my injury and even went without bathing so I could channel spiritual energy into you first. Wasn’t I good to you?”
Xie Shiqi replied to something else entirely. “Don’t even think about it.”
Luo Ningning refused to give up and rubbed against the giant wolf’s leg again. The giant wolf pushed her away once more, its movements becoming increasingly practiced.
“No.”
Luo Ningning grew irritated. She grabbed a handful of fur on the wolf’s leg.
“Wolf Lord, look! I have such a long wound on my hand! It hurts so much! How can you be so cruel to me…”
Xie Shiqi bared his stark white teeth.
“…Let go!”
He pulled his leg back, but Luo Ningning pounced forward again. This time, she landed directly on the wolf’s belly!
Covering her arm, she whimpered and shamelessly played the victim. Xie Shiqi stiffened for a moment. He endured it, and did not move again.
Luo Ningning was satisfied.
She had finally achieved her wish and sank into the happiness of being wrapped in fluffy fur. But then she heard the giant wolf ask through clenched teeth, “You woman, don’t you know anything about keeping a proper distance between men and women?”
Luo Ningning was somewhat surprised. She had long heard that ancient ferocious beasts were rejected by the Heavenly Dao and had difficulty taking human form. She had not seen Wolf Lord become human even once these past few days, so she assumed it had no human form.
Who would have thought that it still understood the difference between men and women?
It was just a big dog. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to explain the difference between men and women to it, but in the face of comfort… there really was no need to be so particular, right?
Luo Ningning turned over and rubbed the warm fur beneath her with her fingertips.
“I’m a woman, but you’re not a man. Our races are different, and circumstances force us to do this, so there’s no need to fuss over so many details.”
She hummed indistinctly, then flattered him, “Wolf Lord, your fur is so smooth and soft, and it’s warm too. It suits me even better than the finest silk brocade cloud blankets…”
The girl’s body was soft, and so was her voice, carrying a trace of drowsiness and contentment as it drifted through the night.
The giant wolf’s ears twitched. It clicked its tongue in irritation, but in the end, it closed its eyes again and did not speak.