The real heiress is a fortune teller; her divinations are worth a fortune, and the whole internet is

Xia Qingli had the same shocked expression: "It can even breathe fire."

Am I still asleep? Or has the world changed without notifying me?

Lu Wenli's eyes darted around. He couldn't very well tell them that this was also the first time he'd ever heard Hongyan speak, or the first time he'd ever seen it breathe fire; that would be too embarrassing. "You're making a fuss over nothing! Our Hongyan is a very powerful monster!"

Red Flame glanced at him sideways and said calmly, "I am a spirit beast, not a monster. You are the monster."

Are there really mythical beasts in this world?

I thought this only happened in novels; how come I've never heard of it?

[What if the world ends someday and everyone's flying on swords while I, an ordinary person, am stuck on the ground?]

Seeing that things were not going well, the monster immediately prepared to flee through the door.

Little did they know, Chang Xi and Huo Dongjun were already waiting there.

As soon as the door opened, the sight of Chang Xi and Huo Dongjun clasping hands immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The monster retreated in fear.

The aura emanating from the two men sent shivers down his spine. Even though his heart had stopped beating, he could still feel the oppressive presence emanating from them.

"Ah!" Gu Qingfeng screamed, "What are you doing?!"

Both Chang Xi and his companion were startled, like lovers caught in the act, and immediately let go of each other's hands.

Chang Xi felt inexplicably guilty. "What are you yelling for? He came out with me. It was too dark to see, so I just led him."

"Why does he want to go out with you?" Lu Wenli asked, puzzled. "Master, you didn't even take me out, but you took him?!"

"He followed me on his own!" Chang Xi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you the master, or am I the master?"

If you don't ask, then don't ask; it's obvious you're feeling guilty.

Huo Dongjun coughed lightly, and under everyone's probing gazes, locked the door.

【I knew it wasn't anything good (Xi)!】

【Wait, whose CP name is insulting the actual celebrities?】

[The fans of the Chang Xi and Huo Dongjun pairing are great.]

You wouldn't understand. We have a formal name, and a name we use at home that's appealing to both refined and common tastes.

[A gentle smile: We have a common name, but what about a more elegant one?]

[The sun and moon shine together!]

[White clouds drift by: Why?]

[For newcomers.]

[Dongjun = the mythological sun god = the sun, Changxi = the mythological moon god = the moon, Dongjun + Changxi = the sun and the moon, the two together represent the sun and the moon shining brightly!]

[A gentle smile: That makes perfect sense.]

[White clouds drift by: Yami Yami~]

Xia Qingli rushed to Chang Xi's side, grabbed her sleeve, and her eyes were filled with tears.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Chang Xi was flustered and didn't know what to do. "Hold it in, hold it in!"

Xia Qingli's eyes were red and she was almost suffocating. She obediently held back her tears and slowly recovered.

[Tsk, why do I feel like this couple is kind of shippable?]

[A powerful figure from a Taoist sect versus a pampered young lady?]

【Yami Yami~】

[The Xi Ni (Xi Li) CP is born!]

【Sydney, Sydney, I love you!】

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

She said in a pitiful voice, "Chang Xi, why did you take so long? I was so scared!"

"Don't make a fuss," Chang Xi said, not having time to coax her right now. He patted her shoulder and pushed her aside. "Go play."

"You're the ugly kid the villagers were talking about, right?"

The monster didn't answer; its eyes darted around as if it were plotting something wicked.

Just by looking into his eyes, Chang Xi knew what this man was up to. After all, a smart person wouldn't keep glancing at the escape route while preparing to run away.

Isn't this blatantly telling everyone that he's running away?

Chang Xi didn't stop him, but threw out a thousand copper coins when he jumped up to run away.

The red rope wrapped around the ugly boy's entire body, causing him to lose all his magic and fall to the ground.

A group of people were circling around him, which made the monster feel uneasy.

The silver bracelet on Uglydo's wrist looks quite old.

"What do you want to do?" Uglydo's dark eyes held a childlike timidity, but paired with his wrinkled face, it looked strange no matter how you looked at it. His face was youthful and still had baby fat, but it was covered with wrinkles.

How can a face be described as both old and young?

"Ugly boy," Changxi called to him.

Ugly Boy turned his head away, refusing to look at her.

"Ugly doll," Chang Xi said, walking to the other side.

"snort!"

Ugly Duckling just wouldn't look at her.

"There's nothing in the kitchen, so just make do with instant noodles," Huo Dongjun said as he carried the instant noodles over.

"Are you hungry? I'm starving. This is delicious!" Chang Xi took the instant noodles from Huo Dongjun and handed them to Chouwa. "Really, won't you try some? Really, won't you try some?"

Ugly Doll was originally full of spirit, and a fragrant aroma wafted over.

Ugly Doll's nose twitched slightly, and her eyes unconsciously followed the instant noodles.

"I'll let go of your hand, let's eat something first," Chang Xi said, hooking her finger so that the thousand-thread copper coins slid down, binding only his feet.

Ugly Boy remained wary and dared not move until Changxi pushed the instant noodles in front of him. He then tentatively took them and, seeing that Changxi showed no signs of anger, began to eat heartily.

The jar was round and plump, making it inconvenient for him to eat, and a lot of soup dripped down the edge of the jar.

Xia Qingli silently pushed a pack of tissues towards her with a stick, still too scared to get close.

Everyone was both scared and eager to see, both curious and apprehensive.

Chang Xi took out a tissue and gently wiped the soup off the jar, saying nothing and asking nothing.

"Hmm," Ugly Doll performed a "CD operation," returning the empty instant noodle cup, devoid of any soup, to her with both hands.

Ugly Baby stared blankly as Chang Xi wiped the soup off his body. Why would anyone be kind to him? How could an animal receive human care?

He silently shrank back, slid down, and disappeared into the jar.

There was only a round jar on the side of the table.

Chang Xi released Xi Xi, "Go on, play with your friend for a while."

Xixi smiled and nodded, then ran to Ugly Doll and tapped the jar.

Ugly Baby peeked out and, seeing it was Xi Xi, was so happy that his limbs immediately came out.

"Lu Wenli, let's chat for a bit. The guests are here, and so is the director."

Chang Xi's personal VJ also followed.

What's the meaning behind all this mystery?

Judging from Xixi's expression, it seems she knows Uglydoll.

As soon as the door to the second floor closed, Hao Ren couldn't help but ask, "Chang Xi, what kind of monster is that downstairs?"

He is not a monster.

"Is it a ghost?" Lu Wenli immediately dismissed the question, "Ghosts eat food that has been burned, but he can eat it directly, so it's definitely not a ghost."

"Is it a person?" Huo Dongjun made a bold guess.

"He's no longer human."

I'm confused, what does this mean?

[Liao Wu: He is no longer human, meaning he was once human, but is no longer; he is neither a ghost nor a demon.]

What is that thing?

[Could it be some kind of mythical beast?]

Gu Qingfeng frowned. "Was he transformed like this by someone? What kind of magic was it?"

"It's an evil art," Chang Xi said. "In feudal society, there was a superstitious ritual called 'living-harvesting and dismemberment.' They would kill healthy children, take their organs, and dismember their bodies. Under extreme pain, the living soul would leave the body, and they could harvest it."

Xia Qingli was so engrossed in listening that she could barely stand. She braced herself against the wall, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Is it for worshipping that deity statue?" Gu Qingfeng thought of the deity statue downstairs.

"Yes," Chang Xi nodded. "Several hundred years ago, there was a bloody case in the Jingchu region. The senseless slaughter was used to worship the gods through the magic of shamans."

This god also has another name—the Five Sacred Mountains God of the Clouds*, who can command evil spirits and achieve unearned gains.