Su Xuan disliked being greeted every step of the way wherever he walked.
Eventually, Su Xuan led Sang Dai to a small street stall. A crowd had gathered around it, but upon seeing the Beast King arrive, they tacitly made way for him.
Su Xuan crouched slightly, a strand of his silver hair falling over his chest as he picked up a vine from the stall and appeared to be selecting something.
Sang Dai stood there awkwardly, facing the smiling gazes of the surrounding demons.
It was too obvious—because the Beast King and his “Beast Queen” were here, the crowd around them had grown larger in an instant.
Sang Dai had never been the focus of so many people’s attention before.
She tugged on Su Xuan’s sleeve and asked quietly, “Are we making river lanterns here?”
Su Xuan glanced back at her. “What else?”
Sang Dai hesitated. “…We could buy them and make the river lanterns back at the Beast Palace.”
Finally noticing the sword cultivator’s flushed red face—and realizing how many demons were eagerly gathered around watching her—Su Xuan understood why she was feeling awkward.
Suppressing a chuckle, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s wrong? Are our Beast Realm citizens making you uncomfortable?”
Sang Dai quickly shook her head. “No, no, not at all. They’re very nice.”
The surrounding demons: “!”
The Madam praised them!
The demons: “The Beast Queen is wonderful too!!”
Sang Dai: “…”
“Madam is so beautiful, like an immortal fairy. Her skin is so pale and flawless.”
Su Xuan nodded in agreement.
“The dress Madam is wearing is simply perfect. The person who made it truly has an eye for beauty.”
Su Xuan nodded again.
“The Lord and Madam are a perfect match—talented and beautiful, a couple destined to be together forever.”
Su Xuan nodded enthusiastically.
Inside Sang Dai’s mind:
[These demons are so good at complimenting! Reward them! A big reward!!]
[Keep it up! Say more! Everyone gets a reward!]
[Hurry and praise more! My Dai Dai is absolutely the best!]
The demons exchanged glances with the Beast King.
The demons: Got it!!!
“Madam is truly too stunning!”
“Stunning? Do you have no sense of culture? Using a single word like ‘stunning’ to describe our Madam is far too simplistic! She’s clearly a peerless beauty with the grace of an immortal, captivating and elegant beyond compare—a face that shames flowers and outshines the moon!”
“An immortal fairy! That must be it! I always wondered why there were no fairies in the heavens—it turns out one has graced our Beast Realm instead!”
“My eyes have been cleansed today. This is a divine blessing to the Beast Realm, purifying my soul and elevating my spirit!”
The lantern vendor hurriedly handed bamboo strips to the demons and exclaimed, “To celebrate the arrival of our Beast Queen to the Beast Realm, let’s all make river lanterns today and pray for her blessings!”
“Yes!!!”
The vendor, clutching a basketful of spirit stones, was on the verge of tears from joy.
More and more demons gathered, each holding a vine and weaving river lanterns.
Sang Dai: “…Su Xuan, maybe you should explain—”
Su Xuan withdrew his gaze indifferently. “My throat feels uncomfortable, probably from being invaded by ghostly energy in the Burning Heaven Realm.”
Sang Dai: “…”
It had to be him.
She crouched beside Su Xuan, watching as the fox selected a sturdy vine. He sat on a small stool, his slender hands skillfully working on the vine.
The vendor brought over a stool for Sang Dai. “Madam, please sit.”
Sang Dai: “…Thank you.”
She wasn’t familiar with such things. She had never released river lanterns before, but the surrounding demons all seemed adept, their hands moving swiftly and skillfully.
And Su Xuan was no exception.
She watched the dark vine in his hands bend into various shapes, his movements fluid and practiced. He trimmed decorative paper into the right shape, attached it with precision, and then painted clean and elegant patterns on it.
It was an osmanthus tree.
Sang Dai asked, “Why an osmanthus tree?”
Su Xuan paused for a moment without turning to look at her, then continued working on the lantern in his hands.
He replied casually, “Just painted it on a whim.”
“…Alright.”
Resting her chin in her hands, Sang Dai watched his movements. In no time, a lifelike river lantern had taken shape in his hands.
Meanwhile, the surrounding demons continued crafting lanterns, seemingly competing to see who could make the most.
Sang Dai overheard the vendor speaking to someone while holding a jade token: “Bring more materials—no, no, bring everything from the backyard over here.”
“Too much? What do you mean, too much? It’s guaranteed to sell out tonight!”
“Just bring it all already!”
Sang Dai sighed softly.
Su Xuan handed the completed lantern to her and asked, “Think you can do it now?”
Sang Dai hesitated but nodded reluctantly. “I think so?”
Su Xuan passed her a vine. “Give it a try.”
Recalling Su Xuan’s earlier movements, Sang Dai carefully bent the vine to the right angle and applied adhesive with clumsy movements. As it was her first attempt, she wasn’t very skilled, and the rice glue smeared onto her hands, drawing a chuckle from Su Xuan.
Her cheeks burned, and she avoided looking at him.
Sang Dai was the type to focus wholeheartedly on whatever she was doing. She quickly immersed herself in the task, even if her weaving was crooked and uneven. Despite this, her attitude was serious and earnest. Her calm profile caught the fox’s undivided attention as he watched her without blinking.
By the time others had finished several river lanterns, Sang Dai finally completed her first one.
She picked up a paintbrush but hesitated.
Su Xuan asked, “What do you want to paint?”
Sang Dai replied, “…I’m not very skilled at painting.”
Su Xuan raised an eyebrow. “What does Miss Sang usually do at the Sword Sect?”
“Practice swordsmanship, exorcise evil.”
The smile on Su Xuan’s lips faded slightly, and the expression on his face grew colder.
The vendor, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, hurriedly stepped forward to offer suggestions. “Madam could think about things she’s seen before—spiritual beasts, plants, anything like that.”
Sang Dai thought for a moment and then suddenly raised her gaze to stare at Su Xuan.
Su Xuan asked, “Have you decided what to paint?”
Sang Dai nodded. “Mm.”
She lowered her head, quietly and patiently, carefully using the paintbrush to sketch a shape onto the river lantern.
Su Xuan really liked seeing the sword cultivator this way. She was completely focused on whatever she did. She was always so sincere and gentle, whether with people or in her actions.
He propped his chin and watched her, while the demons around them whispered and chuckled.
It was like a withered tree meeting spring—it truly couldn’t be stopped now. His eyes were practically glued to his Madam.
Sang Dai finally finished painting her river lantern and excitedly held it up in front of Su Xuan. “What do you think?”
Su Xuan glanced down at it.
Silence.
His expression was complex. “This is…”
Sang Dai explained, “It’s a nine-tailed fox. I painted you.”
Su Xuan stared at the lantern—a creation that didn’t quite resemble a dog, nor a tiger or leopard, and certainly didn’t look like any nine-tailed fox. It was a mishmash of features that seemed to defy identification, and he fell into silence.
The vendor smiled and leaned in to take a look.
Another silence.
Sang Dai tightened her grip on the lantern’s handle and cautiously asked, “Maybe I should try painting another one?”
Su Xuan snatched it from her. “Didn’t you say you hadn’t studied painting? How did you manage to make it so lifelike?”
Sang Dai’s eyes sparkled. “Really?”
“Really.”
Su Xuan glanced at the vendor.
The vendor, clearly trying to flatter, responded eagerly: “Lifelike? Madam’s painting is truly remarkable! Is she a beginner? No, this is the reincarnation of a painting god! I’ve studied painting for years, and yet even I can’t compare to Madam’s effortless masterpiece. If we hang this up, it’ll sell for at least a hundred thousand spirit stones!!”
Su Xuan gritted his teeth and used his spiritual sense to transmit a message: [Too exaggerated, tone it down!]
The vendor quickly backtracked, “…But Madam really does paint very well.”
Sang Dai understood now—they were both trying to flatter her. In reality, her painting wasn’t very good at all.
She didn’t feel upset; instead, she wanted to laugh. Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
The demons around them cheered: “Madam is so beautiful!!!”
The Beast Realm rarely had a cultivator with such an ethereal and serene presence. Demons tended to be open and carefree, unlike the more reserved immortals. Most demons were cheerful, and it was rare to meet someone as shy or bashful as Sang Dai.
Seeing her, they were not only drawn to her because she was the Beast Queen, but also because of the gentle aura around her that made everyone like her at first sight.
Sang Dai covered her mouth, revealing only her eyes, which sparkled as she smiled.
Su Xuan’s heart raced. The lantern he was holding suddenly felt as if it had been set alight.
[How is she so beautiful… Like a little fairy.]
Sang Dai put her hand down and smiled. “Su Xuan, let’s release the river lanterns.”
This was her first time releasing a river lantern.
Su Xuan’s throat felt dry, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. After a long moment of hesitation, he finally turned his head with difficulty, answering softly, “Mm.”
He picked up Sang Dai’s lantern. “Since you painted it for me, I’ll keep this one. You take mine.”
The sword cultivator nodded quickly. “Okay.”
Su Xuan couldn’t suppress the smile at the corner of his lips, but he still kept his voice steady. “River lanterns are for making wishes. Write down your wish, and the River God will make it come true.”
Sang Dai nodded and took the lantern. “Okay.”
She stood up, thought for a moment, and then wrote a line of words.
Her focus was evident, as she wrote with great care.
Su Xuan smiled lightly and also picked up a brush, quietly writing his wish on the lantern she had made.
The surroundings fell into a peaceful silence. The demons, having finished their lanterns, wrote their wishes and, together with their Beast King and Beast Queen, placed them into the protective moat of the Beast Realm.
Thousands of river lanterns floated away at the same time, their flames shimmering like the stars in the celestial heavens.
At the end of the moat, the people collecting the river lanterns picked up each one.
The words written on them hadn’t yet blurred.
“May Madam be safe and sound.”
“May Madam enjoy living in the Beast Realm and have a smooth life.”
“May Madam and the Beast King grow old together, ruling the Beast Realm with prosperity and peace.”
Thousands of glowing lanterns, and almost every one of them had the word “Madam” written on it.
The person collecting the lanterns muttered to himself, “Did the Beast King marry? Where did this Madam come from?”
It wasn’t until the last two lanterns were retrieved that the comparison between them became starkly evident. One lantern had a beautifully drawn osmanthus tree, while the other was…
The person tried hard to decipher what it was, but ultimately fell silent.
It seemed the artist who made the lantern wasn’t particularly skilled in painting.
But the calligraphy on the two lanterns was strikingly beautiful—one elegant and delicate, the other bold and vigorous.
The two lanterns seemed to be offering prayers.
“May Su Xuan live long and prosper.”
“May Dai Dai always smile, live a long life, and walk a smooth path to immortality.”
—
The night had deepened, and Sang Dai walked ahead.
Su Xuan followed behind her and asked, “Where are you going?”
Sang Dai turned and smiled at him. “To get your gift.”
Su Xuan: !!!
[Finally, it’s time for my gift? But I haven’t given her anything yet!]
Sang Dai said, “Wait for me here for a moment.”
With that, she turned and ran off, the hem of her dress trailing behind her like blooming waves.
Su Xuan stayed where he was, quietly waiting for her return.
For the first time in many years, he felt a sense of expectation.
He was looking forward to Sang Dai’s gift.
The focus wasn’t the gift itself, but Sang Dai’s gift.
But after a while, the sword cultivator returned empty-handed.
Su Xuan: “?”
He was in disbelief. “Where’s my gift?”
[Dai Dai! Where’s my gift?!!]
Sang Dai covered her ears, bothered by the noise, and pulled Su Xuan toward a corner of the city wall.
“Wait, wait.”
The city wall of the Beast Realm’s capital was very tall, at least a hundred feet high. Sang Dai and Su Xuan teleported to the top. From their vantage point, they could see most of the Beast Realm.
The city was brightly lit, bustling with life.
She pulled out two cushions and sat down, handing one to Su Xuan. “Sit.”
The sword cultivator quickly retrieved a small table, food, and a small pot of wine from her cosmos bag.
Su Xuan couldn’t help but smile but obediently sat next to her, also neatly organizing the things she had laid out.
“So where’s my gift?”
Sang Dai shot him a playful glare. “Don’t rush.”
Su Xuan’s invisible tail stiffened.
[..Is she pouting?]
Sang Dai: “…”
[Dai Dai is pouting? That’s so cute! I should’ve used a recording stone to capture this moment!]
Sang Dai rolled her eyes at him and peeled an orange for herself.
Her legs dangled freely over the edge of the city wall. The night breeze tousled their hair, intertwining his silver strands with her dark ones. The tassels on her hairpin jingled softly.
She tilted her small face slightly upward, gazing quietly at the moon.
Su Xuan watched her for a moment, then smiled and turned his gaze upward, joining her in looking at the moon.
The moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival was full and close—so close, it felt as though, from where they sat on the city wall, they could almost reach out and touch it.
As the last wisp of mist around the full moon dissipated, Sang Dai suddenly spoke, “Su Xuan, don’t blink.”
Su Xuan: “What?”
Sang Dai pointed to the sky. “Look.”
Fireworks shot into the air, exploding against the night sky. Sparks in five colors fell, their trails curving in strange arcs, resembling hanging pearls, lighting up the sky brighter than day.
It was unclear how many fireworks had been purchased, but the entire sky above the main city was filled with one after another, bursting into brilliant displays that lit up the night.
The demons gathered together, their heads tilted upward, watching the fireworks bloom across the sky.
Sang Dai said, “This is my gift to you.”
Su Xuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his jaw tight. He gripped the wine cup in his hand, and then turned his head to meet her gaze.
In his eyes was a mix of emotions, deep and surging like the tide, more intense than the night itself.
They held each other’s gaze for a long time.
Su Xuan’s voice was husky, his lips parting slightly as he spoke:
“Sang Dai, do you remember now?”
There was so much emotion hidden in his words, perhaps only the two of them could truly understand it.
Sang Dai smiled softly and replied, “Mm, I remember.”
She remembered their first meeting, the entire month they spent together—a long, long time ago.
All these years had passed, and only he had remembered.
Sang Dai’s eyes reddened slightly. “I’m sorry, I forgot about that month.”
She smiled, adding, “But Su Xuan, now I remember.”
After the poison was cured, she remembered everything.
Su Xuan felt his heart shatter. He had prepared himself for the rest of his life being forgotten by her, but he never expected that she would actually remember.
In a sudden rush, he lunged forward, grasping her wrist, pulling her toward him. He leaned in close, his glassy amber eyes locked onto hers, so close that he could kiss her with a slight tilt of his head.
His voice was rough yet controlled, each word nearly trembling as he asked:
“Sang Dai, tell me, who am I?”