When Qi An was still a mortal, she greatly envied the scenes written in novels: a loving couple riding a fine steed together, accompanied by the stars and the moon, reciting poetry and prose, and discussing life’s ideals while being deeply affectionate toward one another.
She had originally assumed that, given her solitary fate, this small wish would surely never come true.
But as it turns out, if one lives long enough, anything is possible. She actually experienced a day where she rode a mount with a man, and that man happened to be the breathtakingly beautiful Demon Lord.
Half an hour ago, Mo Qing had led two demonic beasts before her.
The beasts resembled Qilins, with dragon heads and horse bodies, claws like hooks, and a single horn standing on their foreheads. Their scales shimmered with gold, and their entire bodies trailed with fierce crimson flames. With every move, they seemed to radiate an air of nobility—both imposing and mesmerizing.
Qi An couldn’t help but watch, entranced.
She had previously worked in the Immortal Beast Garden, feeding various ranks of immortal beasts. However, in the vast Heavenly Realm aside from the mounts of the Heavenly Emperor and Empress she doubted there were any other creatures that could compete with these two, whether in appearance or strength.
“These are Black Gold Blood-Flame Beasts. The one with the straight horn is male, named Chiti; the one with the slightly curved horn is female, named Jiangbu,” Mo Qing explained briefly, then asked gently, “Do you like them?”
Qi An nodded and praised them sincerely, “They are so cool!”
Mo Qing pointed to the female Black Gold Blood-Flame Beast and said generously, “Then this one is yours.”
His light, casual tone gave Qi An the illusion that he wasn’t gifting a rare demonic beast, but rather an ordinary kitten or rabbit.
Although Qi An prided herself on having a slightly thicker skin than others and had accepted the high-spec treatment Mo Qing had arranged over the past two days without hesitation, even she knew that a demonic beast was not something one could just tuck into a pocket and carry away.
She said seriously, “This Black Gold Blood-Flame Beast is extraordinary. I have done nothing to deserve such a reward, and I truly cannot accept it.”
“As long as you like it, there is nothing you cannot accept,” Mo Qing said earnestly. “Or is it that you simply do not like my gift?”
“How could that be!” Qi An’s mind raced, quickly finding an excuse. “It is just… it is too large. When I am on duty in the Heavenly Realm, it is inconvenient to bring it along, and if I were to board it at the Immortal Beast Garden, I don’t have the money…”
Before she could finish, Mo Qing conjured a pouch.
“Inside are Five-Spirit Stones, which are used for trade in our Demon Realm. Currencies from different realms can be exchanged; your Heavenly Realm should have a department for that. I don’t usually carry money, so take these for now, and I will have Huai Shou prepare more for you later.”
Qi An was shocked. This Demon Lord was truly extravagant!
Although she hadn’t seen Five-Spirit Stones before, she had heard that their value was equivalent to the Heart-Clearing Pearls of the Heavenly Realm. Doing odd jobs in the Heavenly Realm, she only earned two Heart-Clearing Pearls a month. This full pouch was enough to cover several years of her labor.
She swallowed hard, barely managing to restrain her hands from taking the pouch, and shifted to another excuse. “Actually, it is not just the money. The environments of the Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm are different. I fear it might not adapt to the climate, and I also have nothing to feed it…”
Before she could finish her sentence again, Mo Qing conjured a white jade porcelain bottle from nowhere.
“It is not as delicate as an immortal beast; it is very easy to feed. You only need to feed it one of these pills every day,” Mo Qing paused. “If you are lazy or forget, feeding it once every three days is also fine.”
Upon hearing this, Jiangbu felt wronged and nudged Mo Qing like a pig, seemingly protesting that he was willing to starve his original precious mount for the sake of a new love.
While nudging him, it didn’t forget to turn its head to avoid poking Mo Qing with its horn.
Seeing that it was so intelligent, Qi An’s fondness for it increased even further.
Mo Qing gently patted Jiangbu’s head, calmed its emotions, and asked Qi An, “Do you have any other concerns? I can help you resolve them all.”
Qi An felt that her excuses were all disguised ways of asking him for items, but for the moment, she could find no other reason to politely decline.
Just as she was silently contemplating, Mo Qing took her silence for acceptance.
He stroked Jiangbu’s spine and said, “From now on, Qi An will be your new master. You must listen to her.”
Jiangbu was extremely obedient; it wiggled its backside and walked up to Qi An, rubbing its head against her palm of its own accord.
This gesture caused Qi An’s heart to melt completely.
Her reason vanished instantly, and she couldn’t even fathom why she had wanted to refuse such a mount that possessed both beauty and strength. She squatted down, pressed her face against Jiangbu’s, and continued to rub against it affectionately for a long time, still unsatisfied.
“Tsk.”
Qi An, who was busy bonding with Jiangbu, suddenly heard an unpleasant clicking sound of the tongue.
She looked up at Mo Qing, the only person present who could speak, but found him as gentle and elegant as ever. That sound certainly didn’t seem like something he would make.
Could she have misheard?
She shook her head, puzzled, and stopped dwelling on it, continuing to play with Jiangbu.
The moment she lowered her head, Mo Qing’s gaze suddenly turned dark and unreadable. How much longer will this show of affection last?
At that moment, he actually felt a hint of envy toward the demonic beast he had raised himself.
Once Qi An had her fill of intimacy with Jiangbu, she said to Mo Qing with joy, “Let’s go then. I happen to want to learn how to ride a mount.”
She looked eager to try, her smile filled with anticipation.
Mo Qing had originally intended for her to ride by herself, but after glancing at Jiangbu, he changed his mind temporarily. “Since this is your first time, it is not advisable to ride alone. Especially since the journey is long today, it would be safer to ride with me. I can also teach you the techniques for handling Jiangbu.”
Qi An failed to see through his little schemes; she only felt his words made sense, so she agreed and mounted Chiti with Mo Qing.
They were heading to the Duanxie City, five thousand miles away. Usually, if Qi An were to ride the clouds, it would take at least most of the day to arrive. However, today, thanks to the Demon Lord, riding this rare and exotic beast meant they should reach Duanxie City in less than an hour.
This was her first time enjoying the convenience of a mount, and she could not curb her curiosity, looking left and right. Even the drifting clouds, which she saw every day, looked exceptionally fresh to her at this moment.
However, after only half an hour, she lost interest, and she became visibly lethargic.
Mo Qing leaned over slightly, his thin lips close to her ear, and asked with concern, “Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
At that time, the whistling of the wind was constant, and her face and ears were chilled, but Mo Qing’s breath was warm, igniting the tips of Qi An’s ears and causing a wave of redness.
She turned her head abruptly, looking at the elegant young man who still appeared as clear and breezy as the moon, even after having her hair whipped into his face by the wind. Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Just a moment ago, she had mistaken Mo Qing’s breath and voice for Shang Ziliu.
She waved her hand as if she could brush away the expectation she had just felt in her heart.
She smiled faintly, “It’s nothing. I was just wondering if the third condition would be difficult to complete.”
Mo Qing did not miss the fleeting look of disappointment on her face, but he did not press her, simply following her lead. “Achieving the condition is not difficult; what is difficult is dealing with the person in charge.”
Qi An asked in confusion, “Is he difficult to get close to?”
Mo Qing was silent for a moment, appearing to struggle with his wording. Eventually, perhaps not knowing how to describe it, he simply said, “No, he is far too easy to get close to.”
An incense stick of time later, Qi An finally understood what Mo Qing meant by “far too easy to get close to.”
In front of a tall building hanging a plaque that read “Hehe Demon Palace,” they dismounted.
Qi An looked at the plaque from afar, her brow twitching. Was this a branch of their Hehe Immortal Palace in the Demon Realm?
Just then, in front of the building, an old man with frost-white hair and beard was leaning on a cane, touching the small hand of a demon girl, his eyes curving into smiles. “Little girl, from looking at your hand bones, your marriage will be absolutely fulfilling. Come, let me touch your skull to see when your ideal husband will appear.”
As he spoke, he reached out to touch the girl’s head.
Mo Qing could not bear to watch, and he loudly called out to the old man: “Bu Meiyan!”
Qi An: “…”
What talented person came up with such an exquisite name?
Hearing the voice, the old man immediately turned his head. Shedding the kindness he had displayed during the bone-reading, he cursed angrily, “Damn it! Which blind fool called my original name! I’ve said it hundreds of times, call me Bu Nianjiao!”
Before Qi An could ask Mo Qing why an elderly man in his twilight years would give himself a name like “Nianjiao,” she saw that the moment the old man saw Mo Qing upon turning around, his eyes seemed to sparkle with a brilliant light.
Bu Nianjiao threw aside his cane, stretched out his arms wide, and rushed toward them. As he ran, he shouted, “My little Qing-er! I’ve missed you so much!”
“Tsk!”
This time, Qi An heard it clearly. This clicking sound was indeed made by Mo Qing himself.