“Master! Y-you’re really naked!” Nong Li cried out in surprise, her red eyes instantly widening into perfect circles, but her gaze remained fixed, unblinking.
Qing Mu looked at her expressionlessly, calmly retying his sash, watching as her excitement faded into disappointment. Then he raised his hand and flicked her forehead with a sharp snap.
A crisp “dong” echoed in the room.
“Ow!” Nong Li clutched her forehead, looking at him with aggrieved eyes, her tail curling in around her legs. “Master, you hit me…”
“No respect at all.” Qing Mu withdrew his hand, his tone flat but carrying an undeniable authority. “I am your Master.”
Nong Li pouted, her tall figure now curled up in a ball, making her look particularly pitiful. She sneaked a glance up at Qing Mu, saw the seriousness on his face—clearly not pretending—and instantly, all her mischievousness vanished, leaving only admiration and a hint of lingering fear. She carefully inched closer and sat down beside Qing Mu again, but this time didn’t dare act up. Instead, she gently rubbed her head against Qing Mu’s shoulder, like a big cat seeking comfort.
“Master… I know I was wrong…” she said softly, trying to please him, “Don’t be angry, here, I’ll give you the qi technique right now.”
As she spoke, demon power gathered in her palm, and a book emitting a faint demonic aura with an ancient-looking cover appeared—it was indeed the soul qi technique Ben Ji had left behind. Holding it with both hands, she respectfully offered it to Qing Mu.
Qing Mu took the qi technique, feeling the familiar energy pulsing from it, and his heart settled. He glanced at Nong Li, who was still snuggling up to him with a look of “I know I was wrong, please forgive me,” her huge body making this act of coquettishness seem both bizarre and strangely cute.
He sighed, his tone softening a little: “Don’t mess around like this again.”
“Got it, got it!” Nong Li saw her Master’s tone ease, and immediately broke into a wide grin, inching even closer until she nearly enveloped Qing Mu in her embrace. Lowering her head, she looked at Qing Mu’s youthful yet steady profile, and suddenly a mischievous, daring idea flashed through her mind.
“Master…” she drew out the word, her golden eyes gleaming slyly, “You see, I gave you the qi technique, and I admitted I was wrong… Shouldn’t you… reward me a little?”
Qing Mu raised his eyebrow at her: “What kind of reward do you want?”
Nong Li’s eyes sparkled. She leaned in and whispered softly into Qing Mu’s ear: “Can you… call me ‘Mother’ just once? Just once!” As soon as she finished, she gazed at Qing Mu with wide, wet, expectant eyes, her tail held tense, ears pricked high.
Qing Mu: “…”
He stared at the fox face before him, so close and brimming with mischief and hope, and thought about her body, several times larger than his own, and felt at a loss for words. This reverse Tian Gang of a rebellious disciple!
How could she bring that up at a time like this?
Seeing his silence, Nong Li immediately began to act spoiled, hugging his arm and shaking it gently: “Just once, Master~ please~ You made me call you that before, now it’s my turn, fair and square! I’ve been so obedient—I haven’t done anything with Lin Qiyou, just like you asked!” Using her size to her advantage, she nearly shook Qing Mu apart.
Qing Mu looked into Nong Li’s bright, dazzling eyes, his face unreadable. He opened his mouth: “…Mother.”
The word was as light as a feather brushing by.
But Nong Li heard it!
Her massive body stiffened instantly, her red pupils shrinking, then bursting into dazzling light! Enormous joy exploded in her mind like fireworks, leaving her momentarily at a loss for how to react. She stared blankly for a few seconds, then—
“Uwah—!!!”
She let out a strange cry, suddenly flinging her arms around Qing Mu, holding him tight, so tight Qing Mu almost thought she was going to crush him into her body.
“Master! You really did it! You called me Mother! Hahaha!” She hugged Qing Mu and bounced in place in excitement, the floor trembling from the force. Her huge fox tail whipped back and forth wildly, almost leaving afterimages. She buried her face in Qing Mu’s slight shoulder, rubbing against him nonstop, making all sorts of strange, joyful, meaningless sounds.
Qing Mu was squeezed so hard he could hardly breathe, his face pressed between her soft, springy chest, his nose filled with the clean scent of fox. Struggling, he patted her on the back, muffled: “…Let go… I can’t breathe…”
Only then did Nong Li loosen her grip a bit, but she still clung to him, looking down at him with sparkling eyes and an unabashedly goofy grin. “Master! Say it again! Say it again!”
“Pushing your luck.” Qing Mu shot her an annoyed look, trying to wriggle free. “I’ve taken Ben Ji’s qi technique. Don’t you still have business in the demon realm? Go deal with it.”
Though reluctant, Nong Li saw Qing Mu’s firm attitude and knew she couldn’t keep playing. Content, she gave Qing Mu’s face a quick nuzzle, then, still unwilling to let go, finally released him.
“Then, Master, I’m leaving! I’ll come see you again tomorrow!” She walked away, looking back every few steps, her smile bright enough to dazzle, before finally disappearing in a flash of white light.
Watching the direction Nong Li vanished, the helpless warmth on Qing Mu’s face quickly faded, replaced by a calm, deep expression. He touched the soul qi technique in his arms, then looked at the pills Lin Qiyou had left behind, his gaze turning unreadable.
Night.
After confirming that Qin Feng had entered meditation to cultivate in the next room, Qing Mu slipped silently over to the small hut where the giraffe demon lived.
The giraffe demon was surprised by Qing Mu’s late-night visit but still received him respectfully.
“Mr. Qing Mu, what instructions do you have?”
Qing Mu got straight to the point: “I want to ask you to do something—something that might stop the Renjie–demon war from escalating further.”
The giraffe demon’s eyes sharpened. “Please speak.”
“I want you to go to the Renjie and spread some news,” Qing Mu lowered his voice, eyes sharp, “about Lin Qiyou, the Sword Immortal of Shadows.”
The giraffe demon’s pupils contracted. “What news?”
“Spread the story of how she secretly colluded with Yao King Ben Ji in the past.” Qing Mu’s voice was calm but forceful. “Emphasize that, for her own interests, she once collaborated with the demon race, ignoring the interests of humanity. You can even hint that her current ‘moderate’ stance toward demons isn’t really for peace between the two races.”
The giraffe demon gasped, staring at Qing Mu in disbelief. “Sir! That would… wouldn’t that ruin Lin Qiyou’s reputation among humans? The Shadow Sword Sect might fall into chaos!”
“That’s exactly what I want: her reputation tarnished, chaos in the Shadow Sword Sect.” Qing Mu said coldly. “If Lin Qiyou is mired in a crisis of trust, busy dealing with internal suspicion, how much energy can she spare to lead a large-scale crusade against the demon race? When humanity’s accusations are aimed at their own ‘leader,’ the threat of war will naturally weaken. This is the fastest and most effective way to stop the fighting.”
Seeing the giraffe demon’s conflicted face, Qing Mu added, “I know this is risky, but for greater peace, some means are necessary. Be careful not to expose yourself. This matter stays strictly between you and me.”
The giraffe demon was silent for a long time, his face full of struggle. Loyal to Lady Nong Li, he also wanted peace. Mr. Qing Mu’s method was harsh, but… it struck at the heart of the matter. At last, he gritted his teeth and nodded firmly: “Understood, Mr. Qing Mu. For the sake of stopping the slaughter between our two races… I’ll do it.”
After persuading the giraffe demon, Qing Mu didn’t linger. He silently approached the outside of Qin Feng’s room and knocked gently.
Qin Feng opened the door quickly, surprised to see Qing Mu. “Brother Qing Mu? So late—what’s the matter?”
Qing Mu stepped inside, closed the door, and set up a simple soundproof barrier.
Seeing Qin Feng’s confused look, Qing Mu sighed, putting on a perfectly measured expression of concern and helplessness. “Qin Feng, I came to talk to you… about how we might really stop this seemingly inevitable war between humans and demons.”
Qin Feng straightened, serious. “Please, go on.”
“I realized the real issue might not be Lin Qiyou, but Nong Li herself.” Qing Mu steered the conversation. “Though she’s a Yao King, her position isn’t unshakable. The other Yao Kings are already dissatisfied with her lenient policies toward human prisoners. If we can… further weaken her standing in the demon realm, force her to focus on her own problems, she won’t be able to start new conflicts.”
Qin Feng pondered. “You mean…?”
“We can spread a rumor,” Qing Mu whispered, his eyes gleaming, “that… Nong Li actually has a secret… human illegitimate child.”
“What?!” Qin Feng nearly jumped, shocked. “That—that’s impossible! Pure nonsense!”
Then he remembered—hadn’t Nong Li always treated Qing Mu…
“Whether it’s true doesn’t matter,” Qing Mu looked at him calmly, “what matters is, once this gets out, what will the other Yao Kings think? They’ll see her as unreliable, maybe even suspect she’d betray the demons for her illegitimate child. That’s enough to throw her into a massive crisis of trust and power struggle in the demon realm. If she’s busy stabilizing things at home, how could she wage war outside?”
Qin Feng was stunned, tasting Qing Mu’s words and feeling a chill down his spine. This plan was vicious—cutting the ground from under her feet. But it might actually work.
“But… will anyone believe it?” Qin Feng hesitated.
“I need you to lie to Lin Qiyou for me. Tell her I’m leaving for a while,” Qing Mu said heavily.
Looking into Qing Mu’s “concerned for the world” eyes, and thinking of the horrors war could bring, Qin Feng struggled inside. At last, his yearning for peace overcame his doubts, and he nodded heavily. “I’ll find a way.”
Watching Qin Feng agree, Qing Mu felt no joy, only a cold calm.
A strike from both sides, two-pronged.
He left Qin Feng’s room and looked up at the starry sky.
The board was set. Now, all that remained was for the winds to rise.