Fox’s Charm, Heart’s Chaos

The Devil King Xilaphiel launched one strike after another at Lord Loulan. Meanwhile, the Lion King Chong Jian, who had previously seemed tense and ready to fight, had now retreated to the sidelines, clearly intending to reap the benefits without lifting a finger.

Wan Mimi, though not the sharpest thinker, was intuitive enough to catch on to this. At this moment, her priority was to keep an eye on the Lion King Chong Jian and prevent him from making any sudden moves.

Suddenly, the Devil King Xilaphiel and Lord Loulan both let out a cry and were sent flying backward. It turned out that the two had exchanged distant palm strikes, resulting in both of them being blasted away, blood spurting from their mouths. Judging from their condition, the damage they sustained was severe.

Wan Mimi instinctively started to rush toward Lord Loulan to check on him, but before she could reach him, she herself plummeted downward. It turned out that when Lord Loulan was injured earlier, he hadn’t been able to maintain the restriction spell on Wan Mimi, and thus it was unintentionally released, causing her to fall from mid-air.

Just like before, when she was about to hit the ground, Wan Mimi suddenly began to float and rise upward on her own, narrowly escaping danger.

Both Lord Loulan and the Devil King Xilaphiel witnessed Wan Mimi’s sudden fall. In unison, they launched their techniques to try to pull her back to safety. But upon seeing that Wan Mimi was unharmed and floating on her own, they both let out a sigh of relief.

The two of them exchanged a glance, realizing that the other’s intentions mirrored their own.

However, Lord Loulan and the Devil King Xilaphiel were not identical in their emotions toward Wan Mimi. The Devil King Xilaphiel might still crave the use of Wan Mimi’s unique capabilities, but Lord Loulan’s feelings were purely genuine and beginning to manifest into something deeper.

Neither of them had ever experienced such emotions before. Bewildered and uncertain, they were nonetheless both resolute in one thing – they would never stand idly by and allow harm to come to Wan Mimi.

As the Lion King Chong Jian observed the expressions of the two, he immediately understood a shift had occurred. Indeed, his earlier plans aligned with Wan Mimi’s suspicions; he had intended to swoop in and seize the spoils of victory. But now his calculations were thrown off. Both Lord Loulan and the Devil King Xilaphiel would undoubtedly refuse to let Wan Mimi fall into the hands of Chong Jian. Without exchanging a single word or even a glance, both reached an unspoken agreement to stand united on this matter.

The Lion King Chong Jian suddenly charged toward Wan Mimi. Reacting instinctively, the Devil King Xilaphiel thrust his spear toward Chong Jian. However, Lord Loulan noticed from a distance that Chong Jian had already unleashed a palm strike aimed directly at Wan Mimi. With her current level of spiritual power, she wouldn’t have the time to dodge, let alone counter it.

Without thinking, Lord Loulan rushed forward, intercepting Chong Jian’s attack by meeting it palm to palm. Lord Loulan, already injured from the previous clash, was unable to endure the force. Blood spurted from his mouth in a torrent, and his body staggered, unable to maintain his footing.

Meanwhile, the Devil King Xilaphiel and Lion King Chong Jian were locked in an intense battle. The fight raged across the sky, shifting down to the ground, weaving through the forest, and splashing into a nearby river. The ferocity of their clash was absolute, with neither showing signs of backing down.

Wan Mimi, witnessing all this, briefly contemplated taking this as her chance to escape. After all, this moment-with Chong Jian occupied by Xilaphiel and Lord Loulan too weakened to stop her-was perhaps her best opportunity. Her spiritual power had mostly recovered by now, so running shouldn’t be a problem.

But then her gaze fell on Lord Loulan, swaying unsteadily in midair, clutching his chest. The look in his eyes, that wounded, vulnerable expression directed at her, made her pause. She thought back over the past several days-the care he had shown her, how he had met her every need, even things as small as finding her the clothes she was now wearing, or the books tucked into the bundle on her back. He had gone out of his way for her, time and time again.

What kind of person would she be to repay kindness with abandonment now that he was both injured and in danger? A deeply forgetful and heartless one, that’s what.

Wan Mimi let out a resigned sigh. “Fine,” she muttered. She soared into the air and steadied Lord Loulan, propping him up against her own shoulder to give him support.

Was this what they called sharing a common fate through hardship?

Or perhaps… was it simply her destiny to remain by his side?

Initially, Wan Mimi planned to drag Lord Loulan somewhere to hide until the chaos settled. But before she could execute her plan, Lord Loulan, his breathing labored, spoke to her in a weak but urgent voice. “Go now. Hurry. Chong Jian struck at you deliberately. His real goal was either to badly injure me or Xilaphiel. Now that he’s gotten what he wanted, it won’t be long before Xilaphiel succumbs to injury. If we don’t leave now, we’ll have no chance to escape.”

Wan Mimi hesitated for a moment but then nodded and braced herself to carry him away. However, as she glanced around, she realized she had no idea where they should go. She didn’t even recognize her surroundings-where could they run to?

Lord Loulan, reading her hesitation, instructed calmly, “We’re going back to where we were before. The most dangerous place is often the safest.”

Wan Mimi considered this carefully. What he said made sense. Besides, no matter how clever she thought she was, there was no way she could outmatch Lord Loulan’s knowledge of this area. He was far more familiar with the terrain than she could ever hope to be.

With her mind set, Wan Mimi adjusted her grip on Lord Loulan and began making her way back toward their previous hideout, her heart racing with determination.

Upon returning to the grand residence of Lord Loulan, Wan Mimi noticed the plaque on the entrance for the first time. It read: Mansion of Celestial Lord Loulan.

Thinking about it carefully, this naming convention didn’t seem typical for an ordinary household, did it?

Didn’t Lord Loulan say this place was in the human realm? Naming it like this-wasn’t it a bit too… ostentatious?

Lord Loulan seemed to have read Wan Mimi’s thoughts. Leaning against her shoulder, he whispered into her ear, “This is a residence built in my honor by humans. There’s even a space inside dedicated to incense offerings. If you’re curious, feel free to look around. You might even encounter someone coming to pay their respects.”

Wan Mimi was stunned. She had been living here for quite some time and had no idea. Moreover, didn’t Lord Loulan cast a formation over this place? How were mortals even able to get in?

And another thing-wasn’t it risky living here? What if a mortal caught a glimpse of them? That wouldn’t be good, right?

Lord Loulan, however, calmly explained that mortals couldn’t enter the inner courtyard. To them, this mansion only consisted of the front courtyard. The back courtyard was shielded by the formation, and anyone passing through the front would find themselves in a forest without ever realizing it. As long as no one from the inner courtyard ventured out, no mortal would see them. Furthermore, this setup served another purpose. Even if he were to engage in certain… activities here or delay returning to the celestial court for some time, the celestial court wouldn’t hold it against him too much. After all, taking care of mortals who came to offer incense was part of his divine responsibility-it was his duty, in a way.

Wan Mimi finally understood. See? This was the difference between her and someone truly remarkable. Even their thinking operated on an entirely different level.

She supported Lord Loulan into the room where he usually stayed, only to find that his room was identical to hers. Goodness-except for the books neatly arranged on his shelf and the empty wardrobe, it was exactly the same! Wan Mimi realized she didn’t even need to think twice to find something; she could simply treat it like her own room.

She fetched some water to wipe Lord Loulan’s face and helped him out of his outer robe. After settling him on the bed, she excused herself, saying she’d return in the evening to bring him dinner.

The truth was, Wan Mimi found herself on the verge of losing control. Watching Lord Loulan in his weakened, delicate state stirred feelings within her that she struggled to suppress. Resisting the sudden surge of inappropriate urges, she refrained from removing his inner garments as well. Before her thoughts could spiral any further, she decided it was best to leave-immediately.

With Lord Loulan unwell, Wan Mimi finally had a sense of purpose. Every day, she personally prepared his meals, wiped his face, his arms, and his body-though she scrupulously avoided any areas she shouldn’t be cleaning. All in all, Wan Mimi dedicated herself fully to being his caretaker. She attended to him diligently, making sure he was well looked after, even cracking jokes from time to time that left Lord Loulan laughing to the point of tears.

Lord Loulan’s days were leisurely and peaceful. Truthfully, his external injuries weren’t too serious. With his high level of spiritual power, such minor wounds didn’t pose much of a problem; he simply needed some time to recuperate. However, the internal injuries were a different story. Wan Mimi couldn’t see those, and Lord Loulan had chosen not to bring them up. After all, even if she knew, it’s not as if she could help.

The chores he insisted on having her do were more of a pretense-he just enjoyed watching her feign annoyance while begrudgingly carrying them out with a sense of self-righteousness. That earnest determination, despite her reluctance, was something he found utterly endearing.

Eventually, Wan Mimi seemed to have caught on to Lord Loulan’s little game. Pointing her finger at him in mock accusation, she snapped, “So, you were tricking me this whole time! If you’re so impressive, why don’t you go defeat the Lion King Chong Jian, huh? A so-called Lord Loulan, brought to this state by a mere Lion King-don’t you feel the least bit ashamed? You’re just a… a big fraud! Blah blah blah blah blah blah!”

As for the Lion King Chong Jian and the Devil King Xilaphiel, neither one of them returned. Just as Lord Loulan had predicted, the most dangerous place had indeed turned out to be the safest.

For almost half a month, life remained tranquil. But for Wan Mimi, the peace soon turned into boredom.

Previously, there had been a maidservant around to handle various chores, but now she was gone. Lord Loulan had explained that, to avoid revealing their whereabouts to Chong Jian and Xilaphiel, it was better to proceed cautiously. The maidservants were his personal attendants from the celestial court, and summoning them down to the mortal realm at this time would most certainly expose their location. If that were to happen, things would get far more complicated.

Wan Mimi agreed with his reasoning. Having nothing better to do, she picked up one of the books she’d been reading before and immersed herself in it again. Occasionally, she’d also venture into the kitchen to cook something. After all, she was the one doing the eating now. Ever since Lord Loulan’s health improved, he barely touched any food.

Come to think of it, Wan Mimi didn’t strictly need to eat either. But as a human habit, letting go of meals felt almost impossible. Besides, eating and sleeping were supposed to be natural and routine parts of life, and if she skipped either of them, she’d feel… off. It was hard to explain, but it simply didn’t feel right.