The rain was pouring harder and harder, but Su Xuan’s words were extraordinarily clear.
Even though he had shown his feelings through countless moments of closeness, this was the first time he expressed them so plainly.
Sang Dai met his gaze, and his thoughts were calm.
Because this time, he didn’t speak them in his heart; he voiced them out loud for her to truly hear.
“I like a girl, and I want to marry her, year after year, never parting until old age.”
Su Xuan lowered his head to look at Liu Ying in his arms. Liu Ying, who had once told him many times:
—“Our Little Xuan doesn’t need to become a Beast King, nor does he need to marry someone of high status. As long as you like her, that’s enough. Mother won’t oppose it; Mother will treat Little Xuan’s wife as her own daughter.”
But she hadn’t lived to see this day.
If she were still alive, she would treat Sang Dai very, very well. She would become a second mother to Sang Dai.
Su Xuan smiled softly, his eyes curving as he lowered his head to rub against Liu Ying’s cheek, tears falling.
“Mother, this is the girl I want to marry. I will only ever like her.”
Sang Dai’s hanging hand trembled slightly, her throat dry, and her once steady heartbeat became chaotic.
Su Xuan quickly regained his composure. The rain here was too heavy, and even with the spiritual barrier, the sound of the rain could still be heard.
“Dai Dai, shall we go?”
Sang Dai was caught off guard and met his gaze.
She panicked and averted her eyes, stammering, “Ah, yes, yes.”
She didn’t dare to look into his eyes. Su Xuan’s eyes always seemed to whisper sweet words—very moving words that never failed to make her blush.
Sang Dai turned around and cleared her throat softly. “So, are we going back to the Beast Palace?”
“Mm, didn’t you burn the royal palace down with one fire?”
“…That’s true.”
Su Xuan chuckled warmly. “Well done.”
Sang Dai nodded blankly. “Mm… then shall we head back first?”
“Okay.”
She walked ahead, and Su Xuan followed behind her, holding Liu Ying in his arms.
Sang Dai added another soundproofing layer to the spiritual barrier surrounding them, making their surroundings even quieter.
Outside, the corpses had been cleared by Liu Lixue. Though, Sang Dai suspected it was more likely that they had all been burned in one fire.
Sang Dai asked, “What about the guards in the estate? Did you kill them all?”
Su Xuan sneered coldly. “Naturally, those who tried to stop me were killed. The rest who wanted to flee, I didn’t bother with.”
Sang Dai nodded. “I did the same. Those guards in the royal palace were loyal to the royal family, weren’t they? I spared the ones who surrendered, but for those who insisted on stopping me, I took action.”
“There’s no need to feel apologetic. The people of the royal palace haven’t hesitated to take lives over the years. In the Beast Realm, they’ve been stirring up trouble covertly. They are Su Xiu’s subordinates, disloyal to the Beast Realm. Whatever Su Xiu orders them to do, they do. The lives they’ve taken far outnumber yours. Over the years, they’ve followed Su Xiu in plundering the common people’s wealth, oppressing countless civilians. Wherever there’s chaos, they’ve been involved. Even the great battle in your Immortal Realm had their meddling. They’re nothing but remnants of evil.”
Su Xuan stopped and looked at the sword cultivator beside him, continuing, “Dai Dai, their stance is different. The demons of the royal palace are not the same as those from the other cities in the Beast Realm. They don’t follow my orders. If you knew just how many atrocities they’ve committed under Su Xiu over the years, you’d regret sparing the ones you did. Your bloodshed in the royal palace was to protect the millions of citizens in the Beast Realm.”
“…Mm, I understand.”
Sang Dai understood. The royal family, like the Twelve Palaces, was aggressive, frequently inciting conflict. Most of the disputes with the other three realms were orchestrated by the royal family, leaving Su Xuan to clean up the mess.
But Su Xuan wasn’t combative and refrained from involving himself in matters with the other three realms, avoiding conflicts with them.
Su Xiu was cruel, and the royal family disregarded the lives of commoners, committing countless atrocities.
However, Su Xuan cherished his people. Although the little fox had a fiery temper, he was fiercely protective of those close to him.
If the citizens of the Beast Realm placed their trust in him, he would spare no effort to protect them, governing the Beast Realm with order and offering them a peace and tranquility that the other three realms could only dream of.
Su Xuan walked beside her. Sang Dai glanced up at him and suddenly realized how much she had misunderstood this sworn enemy in the past.
He was, in truth, a truly kind and good-hearted demon.
Sang Dai withdrew her gaze and smiled softly.
Su Xuan was a proud and stubborn, childish fox who loved to act spoiled, yet he was also incredibly soft-hearted despite his sharp tongue.
Liu Lixue turned back to see his lord holding Liu Ying, walking beside a young lady with a gentle smile on her face.
He couldn’t help but chuckle and shook his folding fan, leading the way from the front.
Since Sang Dai had come, it seemed that everything had slowly started to improve.
He somewhat understood why his lord liked Miss Sang.
Such a strong yet gentle person—no one wouldn’t like her.
Everyone would like Sang Dai.
—
Just as they returned to the Beast Palace, the rain stopped.
The courtyard was already littered with water and fallen leaves. When they entered, they saw Cui Shao sweeping the ground with a broom.
Sang Dai was slightly surprised. “Cui Shao, why haven’t you rested at this hour?”
Cui Shao curtsied. “Madam hasn’t returned, so this servant couldn’t sleep.”
Sang Dai was momentarily stunned.
Cui Shao looked at Liu Ying in Su Xuan’s arms, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. “You’ve finally all come back.”
Her tearful, sniffly appearance was somewhat endearing. Sang Dai and Su Xuan exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh together.
Su Xuan carried Liu Ying to a room on the side, with Liu Lixue shaking his head and following behind.
Sang Dai patted Cui Shao’s head, taking the broom from her hands. “Go to bed. It’s too late.”
Cui Shao held back her tears, bowed, and said, “Yes. Madam should also rest early.”
Sang Dai watched Cui Shao leave, then turned and walked toward the room Su Xuan had just entered.
She pushed the door open, greeted by a gust of cold wind.
The room was somewhat chilly.
This room had always been kept closed. Sang Dai, not one to be overly curious, understood that a closed room was likely a place Su Xuan didn’t want others to see, so she had never entered before.
It was clearly a sleeping chamber, with decor resembling a woman’s boudoir. Unlike the extravagance of Su Xuan’s past chambers, this one exuded an air of elegance and tranquility.
The main bed was covered with soft silk quilts, and Su Xuan placed Liu Ying gently onto it.
“This was a room I prepared for my mother when the Beast Palace was built, thinking that one day, if I brought her back, she would have a place to stay.”
Sang Dai stood slightly behind him.
Su Xuan sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze resting on Liu Ying, whose eyes remained tightly shut.
Liu Lixue handed over an ice box. “Tian Yuxue sent this—it’s Lady Liu’s soul.”
Su Xuan took the ice box.
Inside, the soul’s light was faint and weak. After being dead for so many years, Liu Ying’s bloodline was too frail, her spiritual power too low, and her temperament excessively gentle. She wasn’t the kind of person who could turn into a ghost cultivator even in death.
Liu Lixue sighed and said, “Lord, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Mm.”
Liu Lixue nodded to Sang Dai before turning to leave.
The royal family’s bloodbath left many matters for Liu Lixue to handle in the aftermath.
Su Xuan remained still, a strand of silver hair slipping down his side. Sang Dai couldn’t quite make out his expression.
She stepped closer and spoke softly, “Su Xuan, I’ve sent a message to Tan Huai, asking him to come by tomorrow.”
The little fox raised his eyes and pinched the sword cultivator’s cheek.
“Dai Dai, you should go rest. You must be exhausted tonight, right?”
Sang Dai glanced at herself, covered in blood, and pressed her lips together slightly before nodding. “Mm. You… stay with your mother.”
She had intended to tell him to rest early as well.
But knowing Su Xuan, she was certain he wouldn’t sleep tonight.
They should have some time together.
Sang Dai patted Su Xuan’s silver hair and said in a gentle voice, “I’ll go rest. Call me if you need anything.”
“Alright, Dai Dai.”
Sang Dai turned and left the chamber, closing the door behind her.
Inside the chamber, only Su Xuan and Liu Ying remained.
Liu Ying lay silently and motionlessly on the bed. The marks on her neck were dark and bruised, almost purple.
Her long black hair was simply secured with the most ordinary hairpin, and even the clothes she wore were plain, just a casual garment from her own chambers. After he left, Liu Ying never put effort into dressing herself again.
Su Xuan chuckled softly, “Silly mother.”
Liu Ying was clumsy, unable even to brew a proper cup of tea, but she always made sweet pumpkin baked milk for her son.
Setting down the ice box, Su Xuan stood and walked over to the dressing table, where an array of jewelry was neatly displayed.
He picked out a few of the prettiest pieces, then returned to sit beside Liu Ying. Hairpins and jeweled hairpieces were carefully placed into her hair.
After completing these small tasks, he found himself at a loss for what to do next.
It had been over a hundred years. Since being taken away at the age of eleven, he had not seen Liu Ying again.
Lowering his gaze, Su Xuan took her hand and slipped a bracelet onto her wrist.
“It would be wonderful if you were still here. I’m very wealthy now, and I could buy you all the jewelry you wanted.”
Liu Ying’s life had been too short; she died at barely a few decades old.
Now, even he was older than she had been when she passed.
He smiled and said, “Do you remember Liu Lixue? When I was a kid, he used to sneak me out to catch fish. Father wouldn’t allow it, but you’d secretly open a side door for Liu Lixue to bring me out to play. Later, when I seized the throne, he was the only one who stayed by my side. He saved me many times. If we had failed even once, neither of us would have survived.”
“But thankfully, you blessed me. I became the Beast King and wiped out the Twelve Palaces.”
“I’m very grateful to him. I made him the steward of Xingque Palace, a position second only to the Beast King. I trust him with the affairs of the Beast Realm. I’ve also treated the Peacock Clan with care.”
The room was very quiet, and the rain outside had long since stopped.
There was no one to respond to him.
Su Xuan continued to speak to himself, “The young lady who just left is called Sang Dai… Mm, she’s the one who saved my life. She’s a really, really good person.”
“She’s very kind, fierce in a fight, incredibly strong, yet so tender-hearted, and she’s especially beautiful. I like her so much. I want to stay by her side for the rest of my life and make her my Beast Queen. I’m working on it, and before long, you’ll have a daughter-in-law.”
“When I see her, I feel very at peace. I used to look for her all the time, though she always beat me up. But I didn’t mind at all. The more she hit me, the more I admired her strength, and the more I wanted to stand beside her. Over the years, this thought has driven me to reach the Grand Ascension Stage. Only by becoming strong enough can I earn even a glance from her, the right to stand by her side.”
He rambled on, pouring out the words he had been holding back for years.
Whether or not anyone responded, Su Xuan had always liked talking to Liu Ying. She had patiently listened to him as a child, chatting with him like a friend.
But all conversations come to an end. As dawn broke and a sliver of light streamed in through the partially open window, Su Xuan finally fell silent.
He sat on the edge of the bed, wordlessly gazing at her for a long, long time.
The room was imbued with a soul-preserving array, making it unbearably cold. Despite being a Nine-Tailed Fox, Su Xuan found himself feeling the chill.
Su Xuan stood up. After sitting for so long, rising made him feel a bit dazed, and it took a while to steady himself.
“Forgive me for disturbing you tonight. Once Tan Huai comes to guide you into reincarnation, I will lay you to rest in the royal tomb.”
His lowered hand clenched and loosened, over and over, as a faint, forced smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
“I failed to protect you back then, and that was my fault. Mother, there are so many people I care about now. I will protect the citizens of the Beast Realm, I will protect the friends by my side, and I will protect the woman I love with my life.”
“The heavens want her dead. If your spirit still watches over us, please bless her. The path she has walked has been too difficult, and I cannot bear to lose another person.”
He opened the door.
Standing outside were two familiar figures.
Even though dawn had not yet broken, Tan Huai had already arrived. Upon seeing Su Xuan emerge, he greeted him with a Buddhist salute.
“Amitabha. The deceased are already gone; Beast King, do not trap yourself in guilt.”
Su Xuan lowered his eyes and, for the first time, spoke politely to Tan Huai. “Thank you for your trouble.”
Tan Huai shook his head and sighed softly. “This is what a humble monk ought to do.”
He walked into the chamber and closed the door behind him.
Buddhist energy surrounded the room, and the distant, serene chanting of sutras began to echo from within.
Sang Dai stood nearby, now dressed in clean blue robes. She had washed away the blood from earlier, and her appearance was neat and composed.
Su Xuan approached her and pinched her cheek lightly. “Didn’t sleep?”
Sang Dai pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No.”
After bathing and changing clothes, she had come to wait here for him. Tan Huai had arrived a little earlier, and the two of them had stood together, waiting.
The little fox smiled and asked, “Why not take a break? Aren’t you tired after fighting?”
“Not tired.”
“Not sleepy?”
“Not sleepy at all.”
Su Xuan raised a brow. “So tough, huh?”
Sang Dai smiled in return. “Yep, we Heavenly Spiritual Root Awakeners are very resilient.”
It was something he had told her a long time ago.
Suddenly, Su Xuan leaned down and pulled Sang Dai into his arms.
His jaw rested against her neck as he gently nuzzled her cheek.
“Dai Dai, then hold me.”
He wanted to hold her, desperately.
Sang Dai returned the embrace. “Su Xuan, neither of us is in the wrong.”
Her voice was soft but carried an unmistakable firmness: “Awakening as a Heavenly Spiritual Root wasn’t our fault. From beginning to end, we’ve done nothing wrong. It’s their greed that was wrong.”
Su Xuan closed his eyes, breathing in the faint fragrance on her.
It felt as if all the terrible things didn’t matter anymore. He felt so at ease, so at peace.
With Sang Dai by his side, he always felt reassured.
—
In the dim interrogation chamber, the walls were covered in fresh blood, and the metallic scent was suffocating.
Liu Lixue sat in a chair, fanning himself leisurely, his gaze fixed on the prince suspended in midair.
Su Xiu had been run through by Sang Dai’s sword. Among his closest relations, aside from the crown prince, the only other one left was the second prince—Su Yang.
Like Su Chengfeng, he was a man who treated human life as insignificant.