Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 40

Liu Fenyun was a textbook-type bookworm. Apart from studying, she could focus on nothing else.

In her memory, she didn’t even know her guardian’s real name. All she knew was the alias “Xuan Lan,” and that person sent her living expenses every month.

Yet, whenever the school held parent-teacher meetings or requested parents to check on their child’s behavior at home, her guardian never missed a single one.

Under this mysterious guardian’s “care,” Liu Fenyun safely entered university and was admitted to the top scoring Ancient Medicine program.

The Lotus Capital University she attended was a boarding school. In her freshman year, many boys tried to confess to her, but each time she decisively rejected them, leaving no room for negotiation.

She didn’t understand love, and when her roommates occasionally discussed romantic topics, she remained completely indifferent.

Yet now, she wished to become the same kind of being as a certain demon.

Liu Fenyun felt there was something suspicious about all this. She never believed in the so-called “fate in love,” yet over time, Lianyi had never done anything against her will. Even their soul bonding only happened with her consent.

It was she who had taken the initiative to fall in love with this big white cat.

A thought flickered in Liu Fenyun’s mind: could she and Lianyi have known each other in the past?

Regaining her composure, Liu Fenyun calmly met Lian yi’s gaze.

“I have other ways of finding out it wasn’t the master who told me,” Liu Fenyun said. “But if I form a demon core and become part of the demon clan, will the high priests let me be?”

In a kingdom that despised demons, having Lianyi alone was already troublesome. Adding another, and one with a relatively high status, would surely cause a stir.

“As long as you’re willing, what others think is irrelevant,” Lianyi said, placing a hand on her back with a mocking smile. “Am I not also a demon? Have I ever harmed innocent humans all these years?”

Liu Fenyun shook her head.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already shown them our blood contract mark. Even if you truly have demonic energy, they will only think I’ve lent it to you.” Lianyi pinched her earlobe, her fingertips lightly brushing the leaf-shaped mark. “A few hundred years ago, exorcists would even use this method to recruit powerful demons as bodyguards, harnessing their strength to carry out tasks.”

Liu Fenyun, having read many records of human-demon relations, said, “Then let’s do as Your Highness says. I have no objections.”

She and Lianyi had entrusted themselves completely to each other. Without such trust, they wouldn’t even continue living together.

Suddenly, Lianyi leaned down, swept aside her hair, and kissed the mark.

A tingling sensation spread throughout Liu Fenyun’s body, and she froze completely.

“I only knew you weren’t opposed to demons, but I didn’t expect you actually wanted to become one,” Lianyi said, caressing the back of her neck with a light laugh. “You have no objections? So you really want to become my kind.”

Her “A Yun” had always been obedient, so obedient that even she felt a pang of pity.

They still had to go to the deep mountains to find Yu Qingyue, so the matter of forming the demon core would be set aside for now.

After making their promise, Lianyi rested for a while, catching her breath and gathering her strength before continuing their journey.

By now, the sun had begun to set, the mountain wind turning cool, and the sunlight no longer harsh.

They rode for another half hour when Liu Fenyun suddenly pulled her horse to a stop and pointed to the right. “Something’s happening there. The frenzied demon beasts are outside, not in the den.”

Without hesitation, Lianyi turned her horse.

Before reaching the site, Liu Fenyun calmly took out talisman paper and magical tools stored in her herb garden.

The previous Shaman Doctor, Old Master Sang Jia Cu Xiao, had once criticized her skills, so after completing her promotion examination, she had practiced further and even commissioned craftsmen who specialized in serving exorcists to make a set of magical tools.

Her speed surpassed Lianyi’s. Seeing the red enemy points on the system map approaching, she immediately stuck a fire talisman to an arrow, nocked it, and shot. The arrow struck the frenzied bear demon’s back, instantly igniting a great fire that seared the beast’s flesh.

The prince and officials struggling against the bear demon were startled, retreating in confusion. They wondered which exorcist dared to act so boldly, but when they saw a white clad beautiful youth riding up, her black eyes lowering and a Shaman-Doctor’s seal at her waist, the crowd fell silent.

It was the Shaman Doctor who had married a demon no wonder she acted without regard for humans nearby.

Liu Fenyun set aside her bow and drew her demon slaying sword, striking a large wound on the bear demon and pouring demonic energy into it. As the bear demon was only a beast and not a true demon, the surge of demonic energy caused it to shriek and faint.

“Are there any other demon beasts?” Liu Fenyun pulled her horse to a stop and asked, sword in hand.

Everyone shook their heads. One trembling official said, “There’s only one bear in this den. We intended to lure it out for capture, but it suddenly went berserk…”

“That’s exactly why I’m here. Someone fed the beasts in the hunting grounds with a drug, making them frenzy, and set barriers near the dens. Anyone entering risks injury or death,” Liu Fenyun explained. “The king has ordered all participants to return to the palace and await further instructions. No one may leave.”

The crowd exchanged uncertain glances.

“Shaman Doctor, this is a spring hunting contest. What’s your basis for saying this?” a military officer asked, shrugging. “Demon beasts are fiercer than ordinary animals, but not impossible to deal with.”

“The Crown Prince is waiting at the entrance of the hunting grounds,” Lianyi caught up, raising her whip to point down the mountain. “If you don’t believe us, you can check the mountainside yourselves.”

Being a demon, no one dared meet Lianyi’s gaze and could only verify for themselves.

Lianyi rode up beside Liu Fenyun, tugging her sleeve. “Husband, let’s go.”

Liu Fenyun nodded, tossing a water talisman to extinguish the fire on the ground and the bear demon, and rode with her toward another den.

Lianyi despised humans, so after they saved them and warned them to descend quickly, they didn’t linger.

“Did the priests or beast tamers get notified?” Liu Fenyun glanced back.

“The core exorcists mostly stayed in the city. The traveling exorcists aren’t as capable as you. The beast tamers only know the locations of the dens. The hunting grounds are vast they have to find them one by one,” Lianyi explained lightly. “Where’s the next den?”

She had indeed judged people correctly. The demonic aura in Liu Fenyun’s body could be fully utilized.

Liu Fenyun checked the system map and saw they were not far from Yu Qingyue and his companion, so they could inspect the den first.

However, she wasn’t a great power; her spiritual awareness was limited and could only detect life within a few hundred meters, unless someone had been marked by her or a demon, and was visible on the map.

After passing four dens, Liu Fenyun checked nearby. If people were present, she warned them to descend; if not, she sealed the entrance with an earth talisman.

The king, worried about implicating Lianyi, did not give them tokens after they reported the hunting ground incidents. So they had to act as traveling exorcists, delivering messages about the demons, leaving it up to others whether to believe them. Eventually, the exorcists and beast tamers would follow up.

As the sun set, the sky turned a dark purple.

Liu Fenyun could sense Yu Qingyue’s presence nearby. Her master was alone, guarding the spot, both monitoring Qi Ran and preventing other demons or beast tamers from interfering.

They bypassed Qi Ran’s detection range, the sunset casting a warm glow over their riding clothes.

Yu Qingyue sat cross legged on a cliff, feeling the barrier around him being disturbed but did not open his eyes.

“Master, I’ve finally found you!” Liu Fenyun dismounted and hurried over. “Something so big happened, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’ve already said before that I don’t want you interfering,” Yu Qingyue replied calmly. “I’m stationed here. You should return to the Morning Star Palace and wait until this matter concludes.”

“This concerns demon taming beast masters. We can’t just sit by,” Lianyi caught up, adjusting her breathing. “We will assist you.”

Having decided to find Yu Qingyue, she had this thought.

Yu Qingyue said, “You brought Fenyun to see me, not to help, but to seek my protection? Her body is filled with demonic energy and close to forming a demon core. Humans must never know about her forming a demon core.”

Liu Fenyun froze. She hadn’t expected this motive. She looked at Lianyi and saw her cat ears twitching, a sly smile on her face, acknowledging the truth.

Seeing they had no intention of leaving, Yu Qingyue didn’t drive them away. He pointed to a nearby den, “Rest there. If anything happens, I will call you.”

Lianyi and Liu Fenyun’s horses were restrained by his magic. The two obediently walked toward the den.

The den had clearly been cleaned. Liu Fenyun couldn’t smell any demonic beasts. However, Lianyi detected a faint cold floral scent. Lighting a fire stick, she went inside and saw a soft nest, clearly a bird’s nest.

“Your master is truly kind. Despite appearing cold and indifferent, she’s letting us use her dwelling,” Lianyi complimented.

Liu Fenyun laughed and lit the lamp, extinguishing the fire stick. She didn’t sleep in the bird’s nest, instead taking bedding from the herb garden, placing down feathers and straw, and setting up blankets.

Knowing her master was fastidious, she figured Yu Qingyue would rest outside if they truly occupied the nest.

The den had a woodpile and simple cooking tools, a modest little nest. After a day of running in the hunting grounds, they were famished. Liu Fenyun didn’t mind hunger, but Lianyi would suffer stomach pain, so she started cooking.

The exorcists and beast tamers were sealing the hunting grounds but hadn’t reached this area. Liu Fenyun went to a forest pond, caught a fat fish, and prepared it for soup.

Using herbs and vegetables from the garden, she made fish soup, a cold fishy herb salad, and toasted some flatbread with a thin layer of chili sauce.

Lianyi, already hungry, ate the salad with the bread, complaining, “Fishy herbs are really bad!”

But Liu Fenyun’s salad skills were good. Despite complaints, Lianyi finished half the plate.

Seeing her eat so voraciously, Liu Fenyun laughed and handed her a bowl of soup. “Here, don’t choke.”

The fish soup was sweet and savory, and Lianyi enjoyed the meal thoroughly.

At night, they wanted to check the demon dens but were restrained in the nest by Yu Qingyue’s barrier.

“Besides drugs, ancient vicious formations can also provoke demon frenzy,” Yu Qingyue’s voice came coldly through the barrier. “Someone has set up an ancient vicious formation across the hunting grounds. If you insist on staying, do not leave this den.”

Reluctantly, they abandoned the idea of going out and huddled by the fire.

“Have you heard of ancient vicious formations?” Lianyi asked.

Liu Fenyun hadn’t, but the system’s database had records. She consulted it and explained, “Just as the master said, it’s a formation that incites demonic frenzy, equivalent to feeding them a ‘Blood Wind Carnage Pill.’ These formations haven’t appeared for decades and are considered lost. Judging by the current situation, it was likely secretly passed down by beast tamers of the Gehua Kingdom.”

She poked at the fire. “Destroying the formation’s core will nullify it, and the frenzy will dissipate. This method is safer than drugs.”

Lianyi nodded, staring into the fire, lost in thought. Seeing Liu Fenyun arrange the bedding, she tugged her.

“There’s nothing to do right now. I’ll help you gather your demonic energy into your dantian.”

Half an hour later, Liu Fenyun sat tensely on the bedding, wearing only her inner garment.