A hundred years had passed, and Nong Li was truly different now.
Where once she had a girl’s form, now she was tall and imposing. The once sly and mischievous face was now filled with majesty, and the tone that used to be spoiled was now all authority.
Yet the same golden fox ears, the same tail’s color, the same eyebrows remained.
Who are you?
Where is that voice coming from?
Is it that she didn’t recognize me right away?
Qingmu glanced down at his own body. Though it was a child’s frame, his flesh had always been the same, so he waited a few seconds, secretly hoping that Nong Li would still drop the airs of a great demon.
But it was not so. Nong Li blinked, and a suffocating demon aura swept forth.
She doesn’t remember me?
At that thought, Qingmu’s knees nearly buckled on the spot. He mustered his breathing technique, forcing himself to resist the urge to kneel, while everyone around—humans and demons alike, even that massive spirit beast—prostrated themselves, willingly or otherwise, before the Demon King Nong Li.
But Qingmu did not. He gritted his teeth, furrowed his brow, and stared at Nong Li.
Nong Li, for her part, seemed quite interested in Qingmu. She tilted her head, bangs sliding down to her nose, and those golden eyes flickered with a strange light between the strands of hair. “Why don’t you kneel?”
“Why should I?”
Qingmu couldn’t quite understand it himself—this confidence when facing Nong Li, this composure despite the suffocating demon aura squeezing his throat.
Was it because of his breathing technique, or was it the shared past between him and Nong Li?
In any case, his words were calm and cold, unruffled even with a disaster looming overhead, nothing at all like a human child.
Everyone stared at Qingmu in shock, even Qin Feng.
Why should I kneel.
That question seemed to puzzle Nong Li. She frowned, her surprise at Qingmu mixed with bewilderment. She said, “All beings have their order.”
“I don’t think so!”
Qingmu smacked his own knee. “Demon King, do you think you are the supreme one?”
“And am I not?”
Nong Li glanced to either side. The lesser demons all bowed their heads, and someone said, “The Demon King is supreme.”
“Kah—!”
A mouthful of blood spurted from Qingmu’s lips.
Nong Li appeared to be speaking with “friendly” civility, but in truth, every word pressed down with tremendous demon force. Though Qingmu had his breathing technique as protection, his frail, childish body couldn’t bear it at all.
This fox—after a hundred years, had she really become a ruthless Demon King?
“I still don’t think so! I want to make a bet with you!”
“A bet?”
Nong Li glanced at the little demons beside her. “This little brat wants to bet with me?”
Even in her cold, authoritative voice, she was full of ridicule toward Qingmu.
The little demons, on the other hand, were utterly terrified, shivering where they stood.
But Qingmu was unbothered. He wasn’t afraid of Nong Li in the slightest. In fact, he rather wanted to punch that fox’s head.
“Afraid? Afraid? Afraid!”
Qingmu roared, “You call yourself a Demon King, but all you dare do is show off in front of a weaker human? If you’re truly supreme, why not compete with You Jianxian? Now even a child wants to bet with you, and you’re afraid?!”
“Bang!”
The moment the words left his mouth, Qingmu felt himself hurled backward, a great gust of wind knocking him away. Not just him—even the spirit beast tumbled several times.
He landed flat on his back. Looking up, he saw Nong Li standing above, eyes sharp as torches, a cruel smile on her lips as she muttered, “You dare say such things?”
“A bet!”
Bruised all over, Qingmu shook his head and pointed straight at Nong Li.
“If I win, what will you do?”
“If you win, I’ll let you do whatever you wish. But if you lose, you must let us all go!”
Nong Li frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the terms.
“You are the supreme Demon King. Maybe I have some value to you—but what about these people? What value are they to you? Can a Demon King really care about such worthless things?”
“Fine. How do we bet?”
Nong Li finally spoke.
“Ahem, each of us gets one move. If I can knock you to the ground, I win.”
“I’ll give you three moves.”
Nong Li could hardly suppress her laughter. What nonsense was this brat spouting?
What was he even saying?
Whatever. He seemed insane anyway.
She watched as Qingmu boldly grabbed her skirt to stand, then began rubbing his fists together. For a moment, she regretted agreeing to play along.
If she just waved her hand, he’d be dead.
With that thought, Nong Li closed her eyes. Just then, Qingmu swung a punch at her face, but a strong demon aura shield blocked it.
“That’s one move.”
“Not fair, I can’t even hit you!”
“…Fine, but that still counts as one.”
Nong Li released the demon aura barrier. Qingmu moved to her side and kicked her thigh, but she remained unmoved; with a wave of her hand, the spot he’d kicked was instantly restored.
“That’s the second move.”
Nong Li frowned, noticing that those who had been knocked aside by her earlier rage were now watching.
What am I doing?
Playing with a child?
Fine, once this is over, I’ll just kill him.
“I’m going to attack from behind now!”
Qingmu’s voice came from behind her.
Nong Li didn’t care. Demon aura and spiritual energy mingled at her fingertips, turning blood-red. She decided that after this brat’s last commotion, she’d just pluck off his little head.
But, to extend her hand against these defenseless people?
Even if they were the enemy race…
For some reason, she deeply resisted it.
Just as Nong Li grit her teeth, determined to steel herself and deal with the situation—
“Ah!”
She screamed as her nape was suddenly grabbed. Instantly drained of strength, she collapsed to her knees, fox ears and seven tails standing on end. A bizarre sensation flooded her body.
“Huh?”
Panting, she whipped her head around to glare at the equally surprised Qingmu. “What are you doing?”
“Me?”
Qingmu feigned confusion, pointing at his nose, though he was laughing inside.
He probably understood this fox’s body even better than she did herself.
That spot at the nape was a weak point—if anything, it seemed even more sensitive now that she was grown. There was also the fox tail, but he didn’t dare touch that.
This Nong Li was not who she used to be. The body was the same, but her mind was different, and she didn’t recognize him.
If he went too far, he’d be dead for sure.
Everyone was shocked to see the Demon King on her knees, even Qin Feng, half-kneeling on the ground, stared wide-eyed.
What was going on?
The greatest foe of You Jianxian, the Demon King Nong Li, had been knocked down by a child’s single slap?
What had happened?
The fallen Demon King, Nong Li, glared at Qingmu, gasping for breath. She glanced around, then suddenly snorted coldly and said, “Kill them all! Kill every last one of them!”
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