“Your nose really is sharp.”
Although Jiu Qing had been caught, she did not immediately turn hostile. Instead, she openly admitted what she had done and sat back down.
“What do you want to discuss?”
Uncle Chen smiled. “If I remember correctly, the previous Demon King’s strength declined considerably after he was injured by Xiao Qian’s husband. And the current acting Demon King seems to be an enemy of your Nine-Tailed Fox Clan?”
Jiu Qing’s expression darkened.
Before she and the elders met with disaster, the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan had held considerable influence among the demon race. Apart from the Silvermoon Wolf Clan, no one had possessed more authority than them.
After their downfall, neither the Silvermoon Wolves nor the other demon clans had attacked them. Only the Sun-Devouring Rat Clan had made a move.
Relying on their large population and considerable strength, they had forcibly seized more than half of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan’s territory. Had the Nine-Tailed Foxes not possessed a grand formation reinforced over many generations and an isolated territory almost completely cut off from the outside world, the clan would have suffered far more than a severe decline in strength.
Even now, because of the Sun-Devouring Rat Clan’s constant harassment, the Nine-Tailed Foxes who remained in demon territory lived every day as though they were walking on thin ice.
Before transforming, the clan’s young foxes could no longer run freely throughout demon territory as they once had. Even their running and playing had to be confined within the narrow boundaries of the formation.
Meanwhile, she had behaved like a fool, losing herself in a love she had imagined to be real and completely neglecting her responsibilities as the princess of her clan.
“Yes.”
She nearly forced the word through gritted teeth, concealed hatred and self-reproach filling her gaze.
“The new Sun-Devouring Rat King is at the middle stage of the sixth rank,” Uncle Chen said, looking directly into Jiu Qing’s eyes. “Your Flower Demon Auntie and I are both at the early stage of the sixth rank. Together, we may not be able to defeat him, but we can restrain him.”
“I also have a few friends,” Aunt Hua said with a smile. “Three or four beastfolk at the peak of the fifth rank.”
Uncle Zong rubbed his nose. “I may be weak, but if a real battle breaks out, I won’t hold anyone back.”
When they had finished speaking, they all looked at Jiu Qing.
“Do you want the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan to become the new ruling clan?”
Jiu Qing froze.
Her pupils trembled violently, and her lips quivered. It took her a long moment to recover her voice.
“Why are you helping me?”
She had assumed that these beastfolk, who had once held grudges against her, would already be showing great mercy if they simply agreed not to expose what had happened to Ao Xue.
Uncle Chen smiled. “Do I look like the sort of foolishly kind person who helps others for no reason?”
Then he continued, “I have two conditions.”
“The first is that you help Xiao Qian. The second is that, once you become the Demon King, you recognise the beastfolk as part of demon territory and ensure that beastfolk receive the same treatment as demons within that territory.”
Jiu Qing raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t your second condition a little excessive?”
The smiling expression on Uncle Chen’s face changed.
“The beastfolk deserve proper treatment too.”
Beastfolk were scattered throughout the lands. When a clan was weak, it was not uncommon for people with malicious intentions to capture the entire clan and sell them as slaves.
Unlike demons, beastfolk did not possess demon cores, and the overwhelming majority of them had no talent for cultivation. However, they possessed one ability that demons envied.
No matter how weak a beastfolk was, they could assume human form upon reaching adulthood.
Only the beast markings determined at birth indicated the level of talent they might possess in the future.
But Uncle Chen had never believed in fate.
Everyone had believed that, judging by his beast markings, reaching the fourth rank would already be the greatest blessing he could receive in this lifetime.
Yet through repeated explorations of secret realms and countless life-or-death battles, he had forcibly advanced to the peak of the fifth rank.
When he finally shattered the fourth-rank ceiling that had haunted him like a nightmare for nearly two hundred years, Uncle Chen lay dying in the most dangerous corner of a secret realm.
Four hideous monsters stood before him, roaring ferociously.
He stared at the churning clouds and mist. For the first time, a single tear fell from his eye, landing upon a flower petal nurtured by blood.
Perhaps that tear had contained too much bitterness and unwillingness to accept his fate. It had been as bitter as the flower demon who had once been driven from her own territory.
Branches and leaves spread across the ground.
The flower demon, already at the fifth rank at the time, emerged from a sea of blood-red blossoms and reached out to stroke his cheek.
In this life and for all eternity, they would never part—not even in death.
Compared with anyone else, Aunt Hua understood everything Uncle Chen desired.
It was nothing more than an unwillingness to accept injustice.
It was nothing more than the millions of beastfolk he still carried in his heart.
She raised her eyes towards Jiu Qing.
“If you refuse, we can support another clan instead. After all, the Silvermoon Wolf Clan is also in desperate need of people.”
Jiu Qing’s expression sank. Gritting her teeth, she said, “Deal.”
“Then let’s sign the contract.”
Unlike when he had dealt with Mu Wanwan, Uncle Chen did not hesitate at all.
Neither did Jiu Qing.
She had spent decades being indecisive. Her inability to judge people had cost her almost all her innocent years. When she finally looked back, all that remained was devastation.
She had beaten Ao Xue until he was crippled, leaving him with only enough life to serve as leverage against the Dragon Clan.
She had also destroyed Bai Shuiyao’s cultivation and sent her back to Mu Shan’s territory.
Although Jiu Qing had discovered that Mu Shan had already been stripped of his position more than a month ago, that pair of “loving” father and daughter would surely get along splendidly.
Setting aside Uncle Chen and Jiu Qing’s alliance and their preparations to seize power among the demon race, Mu Wanwan and Mr. Dragon had already been living beneath the sea for two days.
Every day, Mr. Dragon set aside a fixed amount of time to leave the cave, patrol his territory, and search for food.
Mu Wanwan, meanwhile, worked hard at refining pills.
After awakening this time, her cultivation had reached the peak of the third rank. She needed only a tiny spark of insight to break through to the fourth rank.
Not only had the wood-element spiritual energy in her dantian grown more abundant, but certain changes had also occurred within her sea of consciousness.
It seemed that every time she advanced, she acquired several new abilities.
Besides the improvement in her cultivation, she could now nurture spiritual plants and refine pills much more quickly.
In the beginning, merely cultivating a single first-rank Blue Star Grass seed had consumed a considerable amount of spiritual energy. Now, she could cultivate a second-rank spiritual herb with very little effort.
The journey between those two points had been difficult, but after reaching her current level, the hardships no longer seemed quite so daunting.
Cultivating Snow Condensation flowers was slightly more troublesome. However, now that she had advanced and was no longer short of spirit stones, the process proceeded smoothly.
Before they fled, Mu Wanwan had tidied up her mustard-seed space. In its forgotten corners, she had discovered quite a few scattered seeds, as well as several pill formulas that were considerably more valuable than the ones Uncle Zong had previously given her.
Two of the formulas caught her attention.
One was for a Spirit-Fortifying Pill, while the other was for a Demonic-Energy Purging Pill.
Both pill formulas were of fairly low rank. The Spirit-Fortifying Pill was second rank, while the Demonic-Energy Purging Pill was only first rank.
The ranks and quality of the seeds were also inconsistent.
The ingredients for the Spirit-Fortifying Pill were in slightly better condition. Apart from the primary spiritual plant, she had found all the other necessary plants, though the quantities were very limited.
According to the formula, the pill could nourish the sea of consciousness.
Mu Wanwan had been in this world for a long time now. She had vaguely guessed that, besides spiritual energy, something known as divine sense also existed.
However, she had never previously approached the threshold of the fourth rank, nor had anyone been available to guide her, so she had not given the matter much thought.
But now that the formula lay before her—a new pill that might help Mr. Dragon recover his strength—she was determined to refine it.
As for the Demonic-Energy Purging Pill, the formula claimed it could expel the remnants of demonic energy inside the body and alleviate a curse to a certain extent.
Unfortunately, she did not possess any of the necessary seeds, so there was nothing she could do for the time being.
Having made up her mind, Mu Wanwan took out all the spiritual plants she had cultivated and prepared while Mr. Dragon was still away.
She beckoned towards Mengmeng, who had grown even rounder.
“Mengmeng, come here.”
“Chirp?”
The large, fat fluffball hopped over.
Mu Wanwan took out a new pill furnace, then removed the empty crystal specifically used to store alchemical flames and placed it on the ground.
She pointed towards it and rubbed the little fluffball’s head.
“Fire.”
“Chirp!”
Mengmeng immediately understood.
It chirped several times with great effort, spun around forcefully a few times, and spat several tiny flames into the crystal.
Only after exhausting all its strength did it collapse motionlessly onto the ground, resembling a large white rug that rose and fell with every breath.
Mu Wanwan controlled the crystal with her spiritual energy and installed it inside the pill furnace. Then she placed several first-rank pills she had previously refined beside Mengmeng as a reward.
The furnace Uncle Zong had given her truly had been intended for beginners. Two nights ago, its flame had accidentally gone out and covered her cheeks in black soot.
After that, a certain dragon had strictly forbidden her from using it again.
He had selected a better furnace that was still simple to operate, then grabbed the little fluffball and forced it to breathe fire into the crystal for half the night before awkwardly shoving the furnace into her hands.
His rough fingertips had brushed across her cheeks.
It had taken only two strokes for Mu Wanwan’s face to become as red as a certain dragon’s.
Thinking about Mr. Dragon, who was currently outside, her heart softened.
Following the pill-refining method she had previously worked out, she began refining the Spirit-Fortifying Pills.
Since they were only second-rank pills, the process went extremely smoothly. Before long, Mu Wanwan successfully produced the first batch of three pills.
The pale-purple pills floated in mid-air. Compared with the first pills she had ever refined, they were perfectly round and possessed an exceptionally even colour.
Ordinarily, she would have stored them inside a jade bottle as usual.
Yet for some reason, after sensing the medicinal power emanating from the pills, she felt that it was very similar to that of Snow Condensation Pills.
She picked up a third-rank Snow Condensation flower that she had previously cultivated and wrapped its petals in spiritual energy.
In an instant, the petals transformed into a globule of medicinal liquid.
Could they be merged?
Mu Wanwan concentrated intensely and split her spiritual energy into four strands.
The instant she attempted to bring the pills and medicinal liquid into contact, an agonising pain tore through her head.
She gritted her teeth and persevered.
Just as she felt that she was about to fail, waves of cool energy emerged from the hairpin she wore.
Her mind immediately cleared.
The agitation caused by the pain gradually faded, and her heart settled.
She felt as though nothing else existed between heaven and earth except the three pills before her, the globule of Snow Condensation essence, and her heart overflowing with the desire to create a new pill for Mr. Dragon.
The hairpin on her head gradually shattered into several pieces and fell to the ground, frightening Mengmeng so badly that it immediately sprang upright.
The portions with compatible medicinal properties began to fuse, while incompatible impurities were removed.
It was as though Mu Wanwan were carrying out an incredibly intricate task.
A fragrance gradually spread throughout the cave, while the three pills inside the furnace slowly fused together, becoming a single pill.
Mengmeng gazed at the furnace with undisguised greed.
However, the sound of moving water gradually reached its ears.
Mr. Dragon returned carrying the tenderest flesh from a third-rank fish he had just hunted.
The instant he entered the cave, he detected a distinctive fragrance that could belong only to a fourth-rank pill.
Merely inhaling it caused his divine sense—which he had been forcibly holding together—to relax considerably.
Mr. Dragon pressed his lips together.
He did not even have time to wash himself or change his clothes.
The fish slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. A dark, gloomy haze filled his phoenix eyes.
She was only at the peak of the third rank, yet she was attempting to refine a fourth-rank pill.
Even with exceptional talent, she would still have to elevate the pill’s spiritual rank. The slightest mistake could cause serious damage to both her body and soul.
Furthermore, he recognised the scent of the Spirit-Fortifying Pills he had frequently consumed in the past.
Madam had not yet developed divine sense.
It was obvious for whom she was refining the pill.
Sweetness and guilt surged through him simultaneously.
Yet he was afraid that he might disturb her.
Mr. Dragon could only stride fiercely towards the doorway before carefully concealing every trace of his aura.
His dark, ink-like eyes remained fixed firmly upon her.
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