At the riverbank, Xiao Hei crouched low, her claws tracing the soil.
She carved a jagged cave. Inside, a small figure—Su Xiaobai—fled, arms flailing, chased by a dark wisp.
It was the Weeping Emperor's cave, where the immortal fetus, still unhatched, had pursued him.
She rembered the mont: two red orbs glowed in the mist, staring into his back as he ran like a startled chicken.
Her claws stilled. A tear fell, blurring the image.
She swiped it away and began again.
This ti, the image was of Su Xiaobai and Xiao Hei sitting beside a roasted rabbit. But now, it was 'she' who had hunted it, her claws gripping the lifeless prey, blood dripping from its side.
Another tear fell. She erased the image.
Again.
Su Xiaobai beneath a tree, head tilted back in sleep. She curled against him, her head resting on his chest. Her fingers lingered before wiping this one away.
Her movents grew frantic.
Su Xiaobai laughing, carefree, his smile blinding. She sat beside him, silent and still.
A throne, jagged and rough. He sat atop it, shadowed, as though carrying the weight of countless lives. She stood behind him, a faint silhouette in the gloom. At their feet, blood spilled in rivers, a kneeling figure awaiting judgnt.
Her claws dug deep, tearing through the soil. She wiped it away with a trembling hand.
Her last drawing was heavier, darker. Endless bodies paved the ground, rivers of blood stretching into infinity.
In the center stood a woman, eyes cold as a blade.
Above her, Su Xiaobai, wounded but unyielding, glared as though their conflict had spanned lifetis.
Her claws stopped.
Tears fell freely now, soaking the earth.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The soil turned dark, her final drawing blurred beyond recognition. She pressed her claws deeper, carving jagged scars into the earth.
Finally, she stood. Her crimson eyes shimred, unshed tears reflecting the moonlight.
She gazed into the river, her pale reflection rippling like a ghost unbound.
Rustle ~
The current murmured softly, uncaring, as it carried her tears into the dark.
_____
The next morning, Su Xiaobai was pacing back and forth in the forest, his expression dark. Wei Jun, noticing his agitation, approached with curiosity.
"Brother Su, what's wrong?" Wei Jun asked, folding his arms.
Su Xiaobai stopped, instinctively ready to spit a few curses but swallowed them back. His tone was clipped. "It's nothing. That little demon, Xiao Hei, sneaked off sowhere."
"Huh…" Wei Jun frowned, surprised. "Didn't you have her under control?"
Su Xiaobai frowned, "So did I."
Wei Jun's expression shifted, a trace of unease flickering across his face. "How can sothing like that just… disappear on its own?"
Su Xiaobai shook his head, muttering curses under his breath. That little demon had slipped away like a wisp of smoke.
"Tsk, that little idiot wouldn't have gone and pissed off so bigshot and gotten herself nabbed, would she?"
Su Xiaobai smacked his forehead, groaning. Xiao Hei had the brains of a rock and the temper of a wild boar. If she'd gone and picked a fight with so fancy princess cruising down the road in their shiny carriage...
Damn, he could already picture the ss—heads rolling, his included.
"That girl's gonna be the death of ," he muttered, launching himself into the sky. His qi rippled out like an old drunk spilling wine, brushing over the forest below as he squinted for any sign of trouble.
Sowhere in the distance, Wei Jun wandered aimlessly, grumbling about being stuck with the boring search duty.
anwhile, deeper in the forest, a luxurious carriage rolled forward, flanked by armored guards.
The spirit beasts scattered around it looked more curious than afraid, their bright eyes glinting in the dappled light.
Inside, Princess Ling Er huffed, her delicate fingers fidgeting with her silk sleeve. She peeked out the curtain, scowling at the endless trees.
"What's so special about this place anyway?" she muttered, kicking her heels against the cushioned seat. Her grandfather had once called this wilderness a hidden treasure, but to her, it was just dirt and bugs.
Crunch.
She stiffened. A sharp, unnatural sound shattered the quiet harmony of chirping birds and rustling leaves.
"!?"
"Commander!" Ling Er's voice rang out, high-pitched and trembling. "What was that?! Do sothing—now!"
Wu Jian, the lead commander, raised a hand, signaling his guards to stop. His silver armor glead, but the sweat beading on his forehead dulled its luster.
The sound hadn't co from animals or stray bandits. It was sothing else.
"Form a periter," Wu Jian ordered.
The guards drew their swords, their steel flashing under the canopy as they surrounded the carriage.
Crunch.
The sound ca again—closer this ti.
Bones snapping.
Flesh tearing.
Then, she erged.
Xiao Hei stepped out of the shadows, blood dripping from her tiny fingers. Her crimson eyes glead faintly, glowing like embers in the dark. In her hands hung the half-eaten remains of a rabbit, its guts dangling like decorations.
Her black hair clung to her face in damp strands, and she chewed leisurely, the sound of bones cracking unnervingly loud in the silence. She looked at the guards like they were no more than passing scenery.
"W-What… is that?!" Princess Ling Er screeched, her face as pale as her silk robes. "Monster! Kill it! KILL IT!"
Wu Jian's grip on his sword tightened, his instincts screaming. That was no child.
The aura rolling off her was like standing before a coiled dragon—calm on the surface, but deadly underneath.
"Princess," he began, his voice low, "perhaps we should—"
"I DON'T CARE!" Ling Er cut him off, her voice breaking with panic. "I don't want to see that thing again! Kill it! Right now!"
The guards hesitated.
Xiao Hei looked small, harmless even, but every instinct they had scread at them to run.
Orders, however, were orders.
Wu Jian exhaled sharply, raising his sword. "Surround her. Don't let your guard down."
Kacha! Kacha!
The guards moved in, forming a tight semicircle. Xiao Hei tilted her head, watching them with the curiosity of a child watching ants.
Her lips twitched—a faint, knowing smile—as she bit into the rabbit again, the crunch of bone echoing in the still forest.
For a mont, no one moved.
At this mont, all seventeen guards, including Commander Wu Jian, had moved to encircle Xiao Hei.
It was almost laughable—a fully trained battalion of elite warriors, surrounding a small girl who barely reached their waists.
Two of them were at Core Formation, five at the Earthly Rebirth Realm, six at Nascent Soul, and four at the mighty Soul Fusion Realm. At their head, Wu Jian, a Spirit Severing expert, stood like an immovable mountain.
By all logic, they had the absolute advantage.
If only all of them hadn't focused entirely on Xiao Hei.
"Move one inch, and she dies!"
A voice echoed, sharp and mocking.
"Wh—" Wu Jian's head whipped around, his eyes narrowing as he searched for the source.
There, near the carriage, stood a man who looked more amused than nacing. Su Xiaobai's grin stretched wide, his teeth gleaming like a wolf who'd stumbled upon a banquet.
One arm was wrapped snugly around Princess Ling Er's waist, while the other held a dagger so close to her pale neck it whispered promises of blood.
"Wh-What?!" Ling Er's voice cracked, her eyes darting around frantically. Her legs wobbled, her hands clawing weakly at Su Xiaobai's arm. "Unhand , you—you degenerate! Do you have any idea who I am?"
Su Xiaobai sighed dramatically, as if her screams were the dullest part of his day. "Oh, I know exactly who you are, Princess." He pressed the blade a touch closer, just enough to make her freeze. "You're the one screaming loud enough to scare the spirit beasts. Now hush, unless you want to give you a permanent smile."
At that mont, all seventeen guards, including Commander Wu Jian, were focused entirely on Su Xiaobai.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Hei smirked, her lips curling into sothing cold and playful.
Without warning, she sprang upward, her petite figure blurring as she sailed over their heads like a ghost on the wind.
Thud.
She landed gracefully atop the carriage, her balance effortless, her claws tapping lightly on the roof as if taunting them.
Su Xiaobai's grin widened as he glanced at her. 'Good girl,' he thought, his chest swelling with pride for his chaotic little demon.
"Commander!" one of the guards shouted. "She's—"
"Focus!" Wu Jian barked, his eyes snapping back to Su Xiaobai, whose dagger remained pressed against Ling Er's trembling neck.
"Good advice," Su Xiaobai said, his tone light and teasing. "If you're going to babysit a princess, at least 'try' not to let her get snatched. Oh wait, too late."
Ling Er whimpered, her tears streaming freely now. "Uncle Wu… help … please!"
Su Xiaobai rolled his eyes. "Uncle Wu? Seriously? You're a 'grown woman' calling for 'Uncle Wu'? What's next—crying for your nanny? Oh wait." He leaned in, grinning wickedly as he whispered into her ear, "Bet you're one of those princesses who still needs help getting dressed, huh?"
Her face turned scarlet—not from anger, but pure mortification.
"Release her now, and I'll spare your life," Wu Jian yelled, his grip tightening on his sword.
Su Xiaobai raised an eyebrow. "Spare my life?" He let out a laugh, his shoulders shaking. "Oh, Commander, you kill . Wait… no, you don't." He tilted the dagger slightly, drawing a thin red line across Ling Er's neck.
She squeaked, trembling in his arms.
"I an it!" Wu Jian barked, his voice thunderous.
"Yeah, yeah, and 'I' an this." Su Xiaobai's voice dropped, cold and biting. "You so much as twitch, and I'll give your little princess here a makeover. Bet she'd look real cute with her head rolling across the dirt, don't you think?"
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