Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

As night deepened, the hustle and bustle of Tianyao City was shut out from behind the thick walls of the imperial palace.

Indra walked along the pebbly path in the Imperial Garden, his steps somewhat heavy.

He dismissed his attendants and followed only behind the woman in green.

The demon emperor, who usually commands respect throughout the land, had a rather interesting expression on his face at this moment, showing confusion, frustration, and a hint of resentment that he dared not express.

Just now at the Drunken Flower Pavilion, he could have easily killed that arrogant little tiger with a single palm strike.

"Senior sister."

In the end, Indra could not resist and quickly took two steps to catch up.

"Are we just going to leave like this? That tiger demon may have some skill, but he's just a junior who's only just entered the Transformation Realm. He caused trouble in the capital and even destroyed the walls of the Drunken Flower Pavilion. If word gets out, where will I, the Demon Emperor, put my face?"

Tianpeng stopped in his tracks.

She turned around and looked at the junior brother in front of her, whose face was full of resentment.

The night breeze stirred her skirt, and her eyes appeared exceptionally deep in the darkness, revealing no emotion.

"face?"

Tianpeng chuckled lightly, his tone indifferent.

"Do you value your reputation or your life?"

Di Shitian was taken aback, his brows furrowing: "What do you mean by that, Senior Sister? Could that tiger demon possibly hurt me? Although his Gengjin evil aura is fierce, it's nothing more than a tickle in front of my Nine-Headed Lion's Dharma Form."

"His malevolent aura can't harm you."

Tianpeng raised his hand and pointed to the northern night sky. There, the stars were sparse, with only a lone, ominous star faintly glowing red.

"But the person behind him can tear down your Heavenly Demon Palace."

Di Shitian followed her finger and looked at it. His expression changed, as if he had thought of something, but he was not sure.

"Senior sister, you mean... that old Taoist priest?"

"Besides that madman, who else in this world could teach such a pure path of killing?" Tianpeng withdrew his hand and tidied his wind-blown sideburns. "The Gengjin White Tiger clan is born to be weapons of slaughter. But the aura on that little tiger is not just the power of its bloodline, but also the shadow of that old Taoist priest."

Upon hearing the words "old Taoist priest," a hint of fear finally appeared on Di Shitian's arrogant face.

That's a real madman.

The tomb guardian of the ancient demon emperor.

When the Demon Emperor fell, the old Taoist priest stood guard in front of the Emperor's tomb for three thousand years, alone with his sword.

Anyone who dared to approach the imperial tomb, whether a great sage of the human race or a giant of the demon race, became a dead soul under his sword.

It is said that the old Taoist priest had been searching for a successor, wanting to pass on the mantle of the Demon Emperor.

"You mean, that little tiger is..." Di Shitian swallowed, his voice lowering slightly.

"pretty close."

Tianpeng continued walking forward, and his voice drifted over.

"That old Taoist priest is extremely protective of his own. If you really kill or cripple that little tiger, that madman will definitely storm the capital with his sword. At that time, your throne, which has only been stable for hundreds of years, may have to be replaced."

Indra felt a chill run down the back of his neck.

He shrank back, his previous arrogance vanishing instantly.

"Well... never mind then." Di Shitian chuckled twice, consoling himself, "Ignorance is no excuse, and I didn't really do anything to him. Besides, our important matters are more pressing."

When the topic of important matters came up, Tianpeng stopped in his tracks once again.

She walked to the pavilion in the Imperial Garden and sat down, her fingertips gently tapping the stone table.

"Indra".

She called out his full name, her tone becoming serious.

"Think about it again. Can that dream, and the aura of that nine-tailed celestial fox, truly heal Master's Dao injuries?"

Indra put away his playful smile.

He walked over and sat down opposite Tianpeng, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"Senior sister, how could I dare to joke about something like this?"

He pointed to his forehead.

"Nine-Headed Primordial Saint's innate divine abilities never fail. In that dream, I saw my master's Dao Fruit collapsing, but when that nine-tailed celestial fox appeared, the collapse stopped. The origin within her was perfectly aligned with my master's Great Dao."

"That's the only chance of survival."

Di Shitian stared into Tianpeng's eyes and said, word by word.

Tianpeng remained silent for a long time.

She looked at the lake outside the pavilion, where a waning moon was reflected.

The master's Dao injury was left behind when he withstood the backlash from the Heavenly Dao to protect the fate of the demon race.

Over the years, they have tried all the miraculous medicines in the world, but to no avail.

If that fox really was the catalyst...

"it is good."

Tianpeng took a deep breath and made a decision.

"In that case, let's find it."

She stood up, looked in the direction of Yunmengze, and a glint of light flashed in her eyes.

"Now that the fox has left her tracks, she can't escape. She can evade divine detection and conceal heavenly secrets, but she can't escape cause and effect."

"Three days later, on the ninth day of the ninth month."

Tianpeng's voice was cold and resolute, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

"That will be the Double Ninth Festival, when the yang energy of heaven and earth is at its peak, and the demonic energy is at its weakest. I will personally set up the 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Search God Array' to cover the entire Northern Region. As long as she is still in this world, even if she has turned to ashes, I will be able to find her."

Indra was overjoyed and slapped his thigh.

"With Senior Sister's help, this matter is settled! I'll go prepare the materials for setting up the formation right away and bring out all the top-grade spirit stones from the national treasury!"

Tianpeng watched as Di Shitian left excitedly, without saying a word.

She sat back down on the stone bench, looking at the shattered moon reflected in the water, her brows furrowing slightly.

I don't know why.

The image of the woman in white in the Drunken Flower Pavilion always kept appearing in her mind.

The woman who hid behind the tiger, seemingly weak and harmless, yet whose fate she couldn't fathom.

"I hope...it's not what I think."

Tianpeng muttered to himself, his voice fading into the night wind.

……

On the other side of the Heavenly Demon City, however, lies a completely different scene.

Tonight is the Lantern Festival.

The banks of the moat are adorned with all sorts of colorful lanterns, reflecting a dazzling array of hues on the water.

Tourists thronged the area, their laughter echoing throughout, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted chestnuts and osmanthus cakes.

Bai Yin walked ramrod straight through the crowd.

His tall figure was like a moving wall, forcefully keeping the surrounding crowd at bay.

His brows were furrowed, and his vertical pupils scanned his surroundings warily. Anyone who tried to approach would be glared back by his fierce eyes.

Su Xiaojiu walked on his inner side, carrying a rabbit lantern she had just bought.

The lamp was not well-made; in fact, it was rather rough. Its two ears were of different lengths, making it look somewhat comical.

But this was the rabbit that Bai Yin had argued with the stall owner for a long time and almost overturned the stall because the stall owner said "this rabbit is a bit fat" before he bought it.

"Silly tiger, relax a bit."

Su Xiaojiu reached out and tugged at Bai Yin's sleeve.

"This is a busy area; no one will make a move here. The way you look like you're going to eat someone has scared the kid selling candied hawthorns to tears."

Bai Yin glanced down at her, his tense muscles relaxing slightly, but his eyes remained wary.

"There are many people, and they are a mixed bunch."

He said in a low voice, and casually helped Su Xiaojiu push aside a drunkard.

"Those two were very strong. Especially the woman, I couldn't see through her. If they chase after us..."

"Just run away if they chase you."

Su Xiaojiu interrupted him, holding up the rabbit lantern in her hand and waving it in front of him.

"Look at this lamp, doesn't it look like you?"

Bai Yin stared at the chubby rabbit, his brows furrowing even more.

"It doesn't look like it."

He refuted it seriously.

"I am the tiger, and this is the rabbit. Besides... it's too weak; I could kill it with a single bite."

Su Xiaojiu burst out laughing.

She tiptoed and leaned close to Bai Yin's ear, her warm breath brushing against his neck.

"I mean, it looks silly like you."

Bai Yin's ears turned bright red instantly.

He stood there somewhat bewildered, still clutching half a bag of unfinished osmanthus cakes in his hand. His fierce demeanor instantly crumbled, and he transformed into a bewildered big cat.

"Let's go release river lanterns."

Su Xiaojiu didn't give him a chance to react. She took his hand and walked towards the river.

A large number of people have already gathered by the river.

Young men and women squatted by the river, placing lotus lanterns filled with their wishes into the water, clasping their hands together, and praying devoutly.

Thousands of river lanterns float on the river, resembling a flowing galaxy.

Su Xiaojiu found a quiet corner and squatted down.

She bought two river lanterns, handed one to Bai Yin, and then handed him a pen.

Write down a wish.

Bai Yin took the pen, holding it in his hand as if it were a burning stick. He looked at the small river lantern, hesitating to put pen to paper.

"Write what?" he asked.

"Write down what you want most," Su Xiaojiu said casually as she scribbled on her lamp. "Like, a great leap forward in cultivation, or dominating the demon race, or... getting married soon?"

Bai Yin fell silent.

He looked at Su Xiaojiu's profile.

Under the lamplight, her face was soft and beautiful, like someone who had stepped out of a painting.

What does he want most?

His early life was filled with fighting and bloodshed.

He wanted to become stronger, to survive, and to stop being trampled underfoot.

But now.

He looked at the pen in his hand and clumsily wrote a few crooked characters on the lamp petal.

The handwriting is ugly, and the ink has smudged.

But he wrote very carefully, each stroke as if it were engraved.

Su Xiaojiu finished writing and turned around to see what he had written.

"Don't look."

Bai Yin quickly covered the river lantern, a hint of panic showing on his usually indifferent face.

"Wishes won't come true if you say them out loud."

Su Xiaojiu pouted: "Stingy."

The two placed the river lantern into the water.

Bai Yin squatted by the river, his eyes fixed on the lamp until it drifted away and disappeared into the countless lights, making it impossible to distinguish it anymore. Only then did he slowly look away.

"Xiao Jiu".

He suddenly shouted.

"Hmm?" Su Xiaojiu was staring blankly at the river.

"If one day..." Bai Yin's voice was a little hoarse, "If one day those people really come after us, don't worry about me, just run away."

Su Xiaojiu turned her head.

She looked at Bai Yin.

This idiot, he's terrified, he knows exactly what kind of behemoth he's facing, yet he still says such stupid things.

"Where are you going?"

Su Xiaojiu stood up and clapped her hands.

"Yunmengze is my home, and you are my...bodyguard. I'm not going anywhere."

She reached out and gently touched Bai Yin's forehead.

"Don't worry. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Besides..."

Su Xiaojiu's lips curled into a sly smile.

"Who is the hunter and who is the prey is still uncertain."

She turned and walked towards the crowd, her back view appearing exceptionally composed in the dim light.

Bai Yin stared blankly at her.

A moment later, he touched the spot on his forehead where she had touched him, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, revealing a somewhat silly smile.

He quickly caught up, transforming back into the thick wall that kept all the noise and danger outside.

In the river.

The crooked river lantern spun around and drifted away with the current into the distance.

On the lamp petals, those ugly characters appeared and disappeared in the shimmering water:

May Xiao Jiu be safe and sound every year.

He had no dominance, no cultivation, and not even himself.

Only her.

……

Deep within the imperial palace, schemes and plots were hatched; on the ninth day of the ninth month, the battle clouds parted.

I know not where the secrets of heaven are hidden, but I say that a beautiful woman has come into my dream.

The city lights reflect two shadows, as Silly Tiger holds a lantern and guards the dressing table.

People search for the traces of the Nine-Tailed Fox, but only wish for peace and mutual trust.