He could not spend his entire life as a widower for him.
Before Cen Moyu could speak, the fox demon dressed in red holding the umbrella laughed. “Wife?” He also asked Cen Moyu, “Did Axiong not say your wife had already passed away?”
Wenren Qi’s brow furrowed even deeper. “Passed away?”
Both pairs of eyes turned toward him. The drenched Fairy Pitta remained silent for a long while before finally admitting the lie. “She has indeed passed away. I—”
Halfway through his sentence, a small creature poked its head out from his damp robes. It had only a few sparse patches of gray down feathers, its eyes were tightly shut, and its skin was a pale pink. Even in the faint moonlight, the yellow edges of its beak were visible.
“Chirp, chirp.”
Cen Moyu had not forgotten why the demons had been chasing him earlier. In a frantic rush, he stuffed the little one back into his shirt. The red-tailed fox demon, seeing that the little fellow was soaked, used his demonic power to dry him. The little bird emitted a comfortable chirping sound in his arms.
“So it finally hatched. No wonder,” the fox demon, dressed like a songstress, said with a smile. “At least you are both safe.”
The moment he saw the hatchling, Wenren Qi was certain the bird was related to him. He had initially assumed Cen Moyu was a male demon, thinking this was impossible, but the worst-case scenario had occurred. He could not distinguish his current emotions. Suppressing his simmering rage, he asked Cen Moyu, “Who is he to you?”
“I live in his—”
“Moyu is my friend,” the fox demon in red stepped in front of Cen Moyu, holding his dripping umbrella out like a barrier against Wenren Qi. “Who are you, and why are you appearing here?”
The fox demon who lived with the Cockatiel had narrow, elongated eyes. He was one of the most handsome men Cen Moyu had ever seen. He had previously heard from Yu Xiang that the landlord was the owner of a singing hall, but he had not expected the man to perform as a dancer himself. He thought that surviving in the Demon City was truly not easy if even the boss had to perform. He felt quite embarrassed that he had not paid his rent yet.
Cen Moyu was unaware that he had been staring at the fox for quite a while. Wenren Qi scoffed inwardly. Back on that night, he had already discovered that this demon was extremely lecherous, having held his face and kissed him many times. Even though Wenren Qi had grown up surrounded by flattery, he still felt that the demon’s behavior was excessive. He thought the demon should be taken back to the Qingheng Sect and imprisoned for the rest of his life, not mingling with disreputable demons in the Demon City.
“Me?” Wenren Qi forgot for a moment that his body was a crafted puppet. He tilted his chin up. “You should ask him.”
Behind him lay the gruesome remains of the other demons, showing a ruthless hand. The red fox operated singing halls in both the eastern and western districts of the city. His cultivation was high, and he was naturally more knowledgeable than ordinary minor demons. Usually, he could see through someone’s foundation at a glance.
This tall demon with an average face was a new arrival, likely visiting because the city gates were open. His demonic aura was not heavy, but his attitude suggested that the little Fairy Pitta had somehow wronged him.
“Ask me?” With the danger cleared, Cen Moyu’s face grew even paler from the post-adrenaline crash. He bore injuries from the earlier chase, and his left hand hung unnaturally. The wound on his broken wing still throbbed even in human form. He endured the pain and looked at the man standing nearby. “My apologies, but I have never seen you before.”
“You do not recognize him?” The fox demon folded his paper umbrella. “Then many thanks to this brother for helping Moyu out of a bind. If you have no place to stay, you are welcome to stay at my singing hall.”
Open City Day was exceptionally busy for the fox demon. If someone had not told him his house had collapsed, he might not have remembered the Cockatiel’s instructions. His little bird was already reluctant to go out due to his appearance, and the fox had been searching for heavenly treasures to help him with his second transformation. Finally, a Fairy Pitta had arrived, but now he could not even go home. The Cockatiel had complained that his fangs were too frightening and would scare the good birds.
Seeing him today, this little bird was indeed too innocent, and his cultivation was pitifully low. He was carrying an egg that could drive countless demons in the city mad. Fortunately, the commotion had not grown too large; it would be troublesome if the City Lord were disturbed.
“You do not recognize me?” Wenren Qi swallowed his anger. Only then did he remember that he had completely changed his appearance. His soul’s power was suppressed to the minimum, and he had converted his spiritual energy into demonic aura to blend in. If Cen Moyu had actually recognized him, he would have been exposed long ago.
Cen Moyu looked at him twice more. He felt a faint, flickering sense of familiarity, but he did not have this face in his memory. Could it be an acquaintance of the original body? He pulled his head back, catching a glimpse of the mouse demon’s shattered head, and quickly looked away. His long, wet eyelashes blinked unnaturally as he whispered, “Thank you for the help, big brother.”
“Did we meet in Liyuan?”
That was the place where Cen Moyu had first arrived, not far from the Qingheng Sect, where many birds nested. The Fairy Pitta’s nest was built in a low spot. In Cen Moyu’s limited memories of that place, those were the only images he had. “What kind of demon are you?”
“Wood—” Before Wenren Qi could finish, Cen Moyu let out an exclamation.
“Are you the vine that grew next to my nest?”
The puppet body was made entirely of wood, so he was not entirely wrong. Wenren Qi let out a grunt, the sound suggesting he was in a foul mood. The fox demon knew nothing of his past. “Moyu, the house is ruined. Why not go to my singing hall to rest tonight?”
Cen Moyu felt guilty enough to die. When he lowered his head, his tattered clothes were even more apparent. A few strands of hair were tangled around his neck, standing out sharply against his skin. “It is all my fault. I—”
“As long as you are fine, it is okay. If anything had truly happened, the Cockatiel would have plucked me until I was a bald fox.” The fox demon laughed until his eyes were mere slits, his yellow pupils looking like marbles. Cen Moyu thought he looked like a giant plush doll from an amusement park and could not help but stare a little longer, as if looking for a fluffy tail.
His thoughts were written plainly on his face. The fox demon laughed and said, “My cultivation is high, so I tucked my tails away long ago. However, if there is a scheduled performance, I will show them off.”
Wenren Qi cursed in his heart and called him an evil creature. The other evil creature was nodding foolishly and offering thanks.
“You are tired. Why not wait for the Cockatiel to return before holding a hatching feast for the little one?” The fox demon whistled, and a sedan chair flew in from the distance. He stuffed the little bird inside. “We will be there soon.”
Cen Moyu had been in the Demon City for two months and had seen these sedan chairs that flew over the rooftops at night. Yu Xiang had mentioned they were for the singing hall’s guests, costing ten thousand gold per trip. They were notoriously expensive.
Cen Moyu panicked again. “Fox—”
The curtain of the sedan lifted, and the fox demon said with a smile, “Just call me Brother Xinchi.”
“Brother Xinchi, Axiong said one ride costs ten thousand gold. I do not have—” The little bird said anxiously. Wenren Qi walked into the sedan as if he owned it, squeezing in next to Cen Moyu. “I have it.”
Xinchi the fox narrowed his eyes in surprise. “Where did you do business before, brother?”
“The coffin business,” Wenren Qi said bluntly. His face was ordinary, but his gaze was sharp. The fox demon felt something was off but could not put his finger on it, so he simply smiled. “That must be a very profitable business.”
“Sit tight, we are heading back to the singing hall.”
The puppet body felt no different from a real person. Even though his appearance was worlds apart, he still had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. If he masked his face, he would be considered high-quality even among demons. The single-person sedan was now cramped with two men and a bird. Even though the hatchling could be ignored, it was still incredibly tight. Cen Moyu shrank into the corner, not daring to meet Wenren Qi’s eyes.
Wenren Qi stared at his pitiful face. The other’s hair was curled now that it was drying, but he looked even better when it was wet, sticking to his forehead and face, winding along with his movements and making his skin look even more delicate.
“Why do you keep looking at me?”
“When was it born?”
They spoke at the same time. The sedan curtain fluttered in the night wind, occasionally cutting through the night scenery of the Demon City. Many demon cultivators had died tonight, and the city’s guards were inspecting everywhere, making the atmosphere tense.
Cen Moyu met the vine demon’s eyes, which were as deep as an ancient well, in surprise. “How did you know?”
He is too naive, Wenren Qi thought. He is so easy to deceive and lead into a conversation. I do not even have to try. He lowered his eyes, suppressing his strange emotions. A hand resting on his knee clenched into a fist and then relaxed. Cen Moyu was a little afraid of him and squeezed further into the corner. The hatchling in his arms, exhausted from the premature hatching, gave a weak chirp. Cen Moyu hurriedly opened his robes to check on the little treasure inside.
“Be good, baby. Sleep well. Daddy will be with you forever.”
It had only been half a year, yet Cen Moyu seemed thinner. Just now, when Wenren Qi had grasped his waist, it felt even easier to snap than before. It seemed his life lately was not nearly as comfortable as it had been at the Qingheng Sect. He thought it served him right for taking advantage of the Sect Leader’s most vulnerable moment and conceiving a child without permission.
Despite these thoughts, Wenren Qi could not help but watch the little demon as he coaxed the bird. Cen Moyu held the palm-sized hatchling and kissed its featherless, ugly face. His still-red eyes were sparkling. “Baby is so cute.”
Wenren Qi really could not help himself. “He is so ugly.”
“You are not allowed to talk about my child like that!” Cen Moyu glared at him. “He just does not have feathers yet. He will grow up to be very beautiful.”
Wenren Qi took another look at the fast-asleep hatchling. With its biological father nearby, the little guy seemed to sleep soundly. The spiritual energy surging from the hatching was suppressed by Wenren Qi’s presence, making it look no different from an ordinary bird.
Perhaps because Cen Moyu had been weeping earlier, his rare moment of glaring at someone had a different flavor to it. Wenren Qi’s heart felt a slight tremor. He sneered, “Beautiful like you, you mean?”
Cen Moyu did not take it as a compliment. He looked unhappy. After a while, he tucked the child back into his chest. His broken hand still hung unnaturally as he said sadly, “He cannot be like me. Being like me makes it too easy to be bullied.”
“He should be like—”
“Like your deceased wife?” Wenren Qi had already figured it out. There was no wife about to give birth and no deceased wife; those were all just Cen Moyu’s excuses. This little demon had used him and then run off with the egg. His cultivation was rubbish, but he was quite good at running.
Cen Moyu had no deceased wife. Recalling the pain and panic that person had brought him, he turned his face away, his voice choking. “I do not want him to be like him either. He is very annoying.”
“How is he annoying?”
Is this not the pot calling the kettle black? Wenren Qi reached out, reset Cen Moyu’s broken hand, and pinched his chin to force their eyes to meet. “You hate him, yet you still had a child with him?”
If his hand had not just been mended, Cen Moyu might have pushed Wenren Qi away and scolded him. But because the other had done a good deed, the little bird stopped struggling. His long eyelashes were wet with tears, and his eyes and nose were red. The bright lights of the Demon City through the window traced his silhouette. The demon was breathtakingly beautiful, making Wenren Qi purse his lips to hide a strange impulse.
“I had no choice.” Cen Moyu’s tears fell, hitting the fake demon’s hand and burning him so that Wenren Qi instinctively let go. Cen Moyu leaned against the sedan wall, taking deep breaths. “When did you transform into human form?”
In the original body’s scattered memories, he had always nested on this wooden vine and hoped it could talk. The vine had never spoken, only wrapping itself around the little bird as if in response.
“If it is because I said years ago that we should marry once we both transform, I—”
“What?” Wenren Qi’s temple throbbed. For a moment, he forgot all the rules and regulations of the sect. “You even thought about marrying someone else? Your—”
Even with only a fragment of his soul, the puppet body could not withstand such violent emotions. Elder Qinxun had warned him repeatedly that he must not perform techniques beyond his cultivation, he must avoid extreme grief or joy, and he must not engage in conjugal relations. Otherwise, the puppet would shatter, his soul would be severely damaged again, and the consequences would be unimaginable.
The man closed his eyes. “Are you not being unfair to your deceased wife?”
“He is already dead,” Cen Moyu thought. Since the Protagonist Shou had already conquered him, and he was just an insignificant little demon, getting a baby was a win for him. “I cannot spend my entire life as a widower for him. He did not like me anyway. It was me—”
Perhaps because this vine demon came from his past, Cen Moyu, who lacked the System’s presence, felt even more burdened. He was exhausted and sad, and he became more talkative in private. “We made a mistake. I am willing to bear the consequences.”
Wenren Qi asked, “Then who do you want to be with? Will that person accept your bald little chicken?”
“He is not a chicken! He is my little bird,” Cen Moyu said, becoming protective of his child. “You are not allowed to say that about him.”
Wenren Qi suppressed the upward curve of his lips and grunted. “Fine. Your little bird.” He glanced at the bald bird head again, still twitching at the eyes because it was so ugly. It looked nothing like him at all.
“If they do not accept him, then I do not want them either,” Cen Moyu smiled. “Having my baby is enough. At worst, I will wait until he grows up to find someone.”
Wenren Qi could not help but ask, “Are you truly that desperate for a man?”
“You are so mean,” the little demon glared at him. “I just want a home. You would not understand.”