Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 48

A few days later, Zhuohuang Nation and Gehua Nation officially went to war on the outskirts of Gehua.

The difference in military strength between the two sides was enormous, yet Gehua possessed beast tamers, armies of demon beasts, and countless divine weapons. Even with the brave and battle hardened First Prince personally leading the army, Zhuohuang’s forces still could not find a way to break even a single city. Whenever the frenzied demon beasts charged, casualties were innumerable.

Zhuohuang’s military strength was drawn away by more than half. It felt as though the nation had returned to the dark days of suffering under demon attacks.

As guardian spirit beasts of the capital, Yu Qingyue and Qi Ran performed their duties with utmost diligence. They temporarily allied with the demon-slayers of the Priest Hall, setting up a grand defensive array passed down from their sect to prevent Gehua’s beast tamers from launching surprise attacks.

With the fires of war, summer arrived quickly.

A tense atmosphere permeated every corner of the imperial palace except the Saintess Hall, where daily life continued as usual. Even with war raging outside, the Summer Fire God Festival could not be halted. The faithful who performed the ritual dance in previous years were once again summoned into the hall to rehearse.

Liu Fenyun also began studying methods to separate souls.

Lianyi had swallowed the Seventh Princess’s soul by accident back then and thus took over her body. But Lianyi’s own demon body also survived. Now, within the Seventh Princess’s body resided two souls and two bodies. Lianyi could freely switch between her human form and her original demon form.

For convenience, she spent most of her time in human form. Only when alone with Liu Fenyun would she change back into her true form.

Such a case was unprecedented; even Yu Qingyue had never heard of anything like it. Liu Fenyun combed through the study and her master’s medical records without finding answers. During her visits into Lianyi’s sea of consciousness, she even searched the bookshelves inside the hall of that space.

Lianyi flipped through her favorite books, keeping her company.

“Ah Yun,” she suddenly asked while reading, “have you ever thought if someday I really do separate from the Seventh Princess, who will become the new Saintess? I haven’t found a successor yet.”

Liu Fenyun paused mid-page. Thinking of Zhuohuang’s reincarnation and succession system for Saintesses, she replied, “Ask the Great Priest? Didn’t she try to kill you four years ago? If the princess is dead, they must find the next successor.”

Lianyi responded softly, but the worry in her eyes did not lessen.

Liu Fenyun put the book aside and rubbed her head. “What you’re really worried about… is where we’ll go afterwards, isn’t it?”

Regardless of whether the separated princess had any hope of revival, “the Seventh Princess” would no longer be Lianyi. Afterward, Lianyi would have to return to being a demon.

Lianyi’s cat ears folded slightly, then nodded gently.

Liu Fenyun reopened the leisure book and turned to the most thrilling page, placing it on her lap. “Just let things happen. Thinking too much will only give you nightmares. Read.”

She did not mean to bring up dreams but Lianyi shivered, remembering, and after a long pause, whispered, “Ah Yun…”

“Hm?”

“Do you… believe that gods exist in this world?” Lianyi looked at her. “Like the God of War, the God of Fate, the God of Medicine…”

Liu Fenyun smiled. “Honestly? This world is far bigger than we imagine. Ancient people only knew that beyond their countries were more oceans and lands. But with advancing technology and transportation, the concept of the universe appeared. And our world is just one speck among countless stars as small as a grain of sand in a desert.”

Seeing Lianyi confused, she added, “So yes, I believe there are existences we don’t know about.”

Lianyi nodded. “Then… do you believe gods descend to the mortal world to undergo trials?”

“I believe that too.” Liu Fenyun rubbed the cat ears, catching Lianyi’s evasive gaze. “Why? Did you meet a god going through a mortal trial?”

The cat froze, then lowered her head. “No.”

To Liu Fenyun’s ears, it clearly meant “yes.”

So when Lianyi resumed reading, she asked half-joking, half-serious, “If you really met one someday… would you be scared?”

Snap.

The book fell from Lianyi’s hands.

Liu Fenyun picked it up, dusted off nonexistent dirt, placed it back, and asked again, “Would you be scared?”

Lianyi opened her mouth, but pain surged through her head. She clutched her temples, face contorted.

She suddenly recalled the god who extended a hand toward her inside Qinggui Lian’s illusion.

Seeing her in pain just like when she had woken screaming the other night Liu Fenyun held her, pressing a hand gently against the acupuncture points of her head, channeling demon-qi to ease the pain.

“I’m not scared,” Lianyi murmured after a long time. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Why would a god care about me?”

And they would never take me away.

Because this was her sea of consciousness, her emotional turmoil caused the surroundings to shift as well.

The hall and bookshelves vanished. The two returned to the original dark prison chamber.

Liu Fenyun looked around, then at the chains on her wrists and ankles, and chuckled helplessly. “Yiyi, why do you always like tying me up?”

Lianyi’s headache had eased. Hearing that, her face flushed scarlet, and she hurried to undo the bindings.

This was her mental landscape she only needed to think about releasing the chains. But no matter how many times she tried, they did not disappear.

Lianyi panicked. If the chains remained, it meant she no longer controlled the illusion. But this was her illusion how could this happen?

Seeing Liu Fenyun waiting patiently to be unchained, Lianyi wished she could crawl into a hole.

“I’m sorry, I…”

Before she finished, Liu Fenyun waved. “It’s fine. I’m used to it. No rush. Your emotions are too stirred. Calm down and try again.”

Lianyi had no idea what had gone wrong and Liu Fenyun didn’t tell her that she had just attempted to seize control and unexpectedly succeeded.

While Lianyi rested, Liu Fenyun quickly handed control back.

After a moment of quiet, Lianyi tried again, and the chains vanished as they were supposed to.

Liu Fenyun secretly examined the cat’s expression seeing her relieved, she too relaxed.

After that scare, Lianyi didn’t dare keep her inside the mindscape. They both returned to reality. Dawn had already brightened the sky, though it wasn’t late yet.

Summer dawned early. Lianyi had drained much energy in her panic, and curled in Liu Fenyun’s arms to sleep again.

Liu Fenyun stroked her back gently. Thinking of her earlier discovery, sleep eluded her.

Before favorability reached its maximum, the system never answered her questions but it also had not stopped her from testing things this time, nor did it issue warnings afterward.

Even if she believed gods existed and descended to experience tribulation, she would never indulge in chuunibyou and assume she herself was one.

But recalling carefully… her experiences before transmigration had indeed been nothing like those of normal people. Yet she had always focused wholly on her studies her major was the busiest in university leaving little time or energy for deeper reflection.

Her thoughts grew chaotic. She closed the matter for now, opened the favorability panel, and stared at the unmoving numbers.

Though gaining favor had become harder, the fact that all her recent efforts to please this little cat had done nothing was disheartening.

Before she drifted to sleep over a medical text, she vaguely realized why the favorability hadn’t increased.

Lianyi was probably still thinking about the “master” she had never met.

The cat’s instincts were far sharper than hers she had surely reached that conclusion earlier.

And that was troublesome. Unless she regained her memories and abilities to prove herself to Lianyi, the cat would never be at ease.

At the same time, in the Tower of Heaven Observation.

Luo Binglun was reading documents when a chill swept by. She turned and saw Yu Qingyue approaching with a bowl of medicine, folding her wings as she walked closer.

“Qingyue…” Luo Binglun blurted, sounding guilty, like a child caught misbehaving.

“Another sleepless night?” Yu Qingyue set down the bowl, lowering her gaze to meet hers. “If you don’t want your body, give it to me. Stop treating it poorly.”

Luo Binglun: “?”

Seeing her baffled expression, Yu Qingyue didn’t explain. She picked up the bowl and held it toward her. “Drink it yourself, or shall I feed you?”

It was a tonic for qi and blood, Yu Qingyue brought it every morning.

Luo Binglun could not possibly let her feed her. She hurriedly took the bowl, blew on it, and sipped quietly.

Warmth spread through her.

Seeing her frown likely from the bitterness, Yu Qingyue produced a candy, unwrapped it, and held it out on her palm. “My disciple made this. It won’t affect the medicine.”

Luo Binglun let out a small “mm,” but when she reached for the candy, a warm hand caught hers.

“War matters already have some clarity. These documents can be handled by your subordinates. You don’t need to exhaust yourself like this.” Yu Qingyue bent down slightly. “You are the Great Priest not someone’s attendant.”

Luo Binglun massaged her aching temples, unsure how to respond. She had always reviewed war dossiers personally long before Yu Qingyue returned to her life.

After a moment, she asked, “If humans attacked your nation, and you were a high official second only to the ruler… what would you do?”

Yu Qingyue fell silent for a long time. “I’m sorry.”

Luo Binglun knew what she was apologizing for but she also knew Yu Qingyue simply cared about her body now.

The sweetness of the candy lingered. Luo Binglun reached out and embraced her, resting her head against the soft feathers of Qingyue’s coat. Since revealing her demon form, Yu Qingyue’s clothing was all transformed from her own feathers, warm and scented like her it soothed Luo Binglun deeply.

Living peacefully with a demon was something she had never imagined.

Yu Qingyue let her rest against her abdomen. Her cold eyes softened, and she stroked the brown hair atop her head.

“But if you keep neglecting your body, I’ll move here to ‘supervise’ you,” Yu Qingyue warned. “I have plenty of free time at night.”

Luo Binglun’s thoughts immediately flew elsewhere; she shivered involuntarily.

Suddenly she was lifted from her seat. Yu Qingyue looked down at her each saw only the other in their eyes.

“It’s time to rest, Great Priest.”

On the way to the bed, Yu Qingyue raised a barrier, sealing the entire chamber.

Feeling the shift of air, Luo Binglun tensed, clutching a piece of clothing.

After a moment, Yu Qingyue murmured, “You’re hurting me.”

Realizing she had grabbed the wrong thing, Luo Binglun loosened her grip in a panic.

“I….. I was just…” she tried to explain, but Yu Qingyue’s cold stare stopped her instantly.

Silence fell. Yu Qingyue finally set her down on the bed and, with a flick of her finger, lowered the canopy.