Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 85

As the captain of the patrol squad had predicted, Liu Fenyun’s group encountered several more demon attacks as they ascended the mountain.

Qi Ran was responsible for clearing the path. Her strikes were incredibly swift, if she could knock an opponent down with one claw, she used only one; if she could scare them off by releasing her demonic aura, she did so. It was a crisp, efficient, and quick series of battles.

“I’ve never been able to figure out, are you a friend or a foe?” Lian Yi asked curiously during a brief rest. “You were doing everything possible to oppose us before, yet overnight, it’s as if you’ve been possessed.”

Qi Ran wiped the blood from her claws. Recalling her failed attempt to possess Meng Nie and the subsequent beating she received from the God Si Yangshen, she said awkwardly, “I haven’t been possessed. I just had a change of heart. Didn’t I get along peacefully with you all for a while before?”

Lian Yi didn’t truly believe her. She hadn’t forgotten that this leopard had conspired with assassins, forcing them to flee the Candle Radiance Kingdom.

Before she could press further, Liu Fenyun’s voice echoed in her consciousness: “She carries the aura of the God Si Yangshen. Though it’s masked by the scent of blood and killing intent, I can sense it whenever she uses her demonic power.”

“The God who helped us?!” Lian Yi was astonished, quickly realizing the situation. “So, a God is keeping her in check?”

“It’s possible,” Liu Fenyun replied. “Until that God leaves, we can temporarily trust her.”

Understanding this, Lian Yi settled down to rest and stopped questioning Qi Ran.

“I observed earlier that the closer we get to the Guardian Spirit’s nest, the more fearless the attacking demons become,” Liu Fenyun told Qi Ran after reviewing the battle analysis provided by her System. “Before reaching the Great Demon’s nest, we should conceal our auras to avoid unnecessary combat.”

Because of the barriers on the mountain, they were currently too far from the actual battlefield for the System to determine if the Nine Tailed Fox was an ally or an enemy. Liu Fenyun only knew that the Nine Tailed Fox and the Guardian Spirit were evenly matched, both fighting with their full strength.

Qi Ran nodded, clicking her tongue. “They’ve been fighting for half a month, yet the demonic aura here is still this dense. I’d almost believe it if someone said the Guardian Spirit was fighting it on purpose.”

“Is it common in the Demon Realm for two Great Demons to fight for half a month?” Lian Yi asked.

“Not very common, unless it’s a sparring match or a battle to the death,” Qi Ran explained. “But the Tu Shan Clan I know isn’t bellicose, they rarely hold grudges against other tribes. However, if it were just sparring, the Guardian Spirit wouldn’t allow the demonic aura to leak out like this.”

“Regardless, we must find a way to heavily wound the Nine Tailed Fox first,” Liu Fenyun decided. “Only by neutralizing the Nine Tails can we stop the release of the demonic aura.”

She then turned to Lian Yi. “Is the gift your mother gave you still with you? I’d like to borrow it.”

She remembered that Lian Yi’s biological mother was a cultivator who had given her a Five Thunders Command as a belated meeting gift. Lian Yi always kept it on her person.

Lian Yi nodded, retrieved the token, and handed it over. “What do you plan to do with it?”

“Hit that Nine Tailed Fox with a bolt of lightning.” Liu Fenyun carefully took the token and warned her, “Make sure you stay far back.”

Having regained some of her past memories, Lian Yi was naturally afraid of heavenly thunder. Her cat ears folded back in fear, and she nodded while pursing her lips.

Once rested, the three concealed their presence and quietly bypassed the weaker demons, slowly approaching the nest.

“Host, the full incantations for the [Five Thunders Command] have been imported into your memory. Please review them,” the System reminded Liu Fenyun as they neared the site.

Liu Fenyun drew the token and scanned an incantation. At that moment, a tiger’s roar erupted, it was the Guardian Spirit. Moving closer, they saw a Saber Toothed Tiger dodging a snowy-white fox tail before swiping its claws at the Nine Tailed Fox.

The Nine Tailed Fox was covered in blood and looked disheveled. Faced with the tiger’s claws, it didn’t counter attack but instead let out a mournful cry and dodged to the side. Conversely, the Saber Toothed Tiger only had superficial scratches that healed almost instantly.

Seeing they were within range but receiving no hostile alert, Liu Fenyun asked, “Can you determine who the red named enemy is?”

“Apologies, Host. Neither of these Great Demons are hostile characters,” the System replied. “However, the Saber Toothed Tiger’s demonic aura is chaotic; it is entering a state of demonization (corruption). It seems the Nine Tailed Fox’s attacks are actually suppressing this state.”

Liu Fenyun froze, contemplating while holding the Five Thunders Command. Qi Ran spoke up: “Things seem different than we thought. Lord Liu, remember to stay your hand; don’t hurt that Nine-Tails.”

“I see it too… it looks like the Nine-Tails is intentionally suppressing the Guardian Spirit,” Lian Yi observed. “Its moves are very measured, it’s constantly avoiding vital spots.”

“Alright, let’s let them know we’re here first.” Liu Fenyun switched to a different spell and cast it immediately. As she held up the token, clouds gathered in the sky. A second later, a bolt of lightning the thickness of a finger struck beside the Nine Tailed Fox.

The Nine-Tails was clearly startled, its nine fluffy tails exploding outward in shock. Upon realizing what happened, it wasn’t angry but turned around and cried out pitifully, “Why did you take so long to get here?! If this keeps up, I’m going to die!”

This surprised Liu Fenyun. Seeing the Saber Toothed Tiger about to pounce again, she summoned the thunder. With a deafening roar, a purple bolt of lightning struck the tiger squarely.

As the tiger collapsed, the Nine-Tails immediately rushed over, transformed into a human girl, and lay over the tiger’s body, which was still crackling with purple electricity. She began to sob: “Fantastic… sob… finally, an Exorcist has come to save you…”

Liu Fenyun didn’t dare get too close at first. She returned to Lian Yi’s side and watched the fox demon girl, who was crying like “pear blossoms in the rain.” Noting that the girl’s clothes and jewelry were of the highest quality, Liu Fenyun frowned. “Did you intentionally release your aura to attract demons just to get the attention of an Exorcist?”

“Yes! But I didn’t expect the demons to hurt so many people before you arrived…” The Nine-Tails’ tails curled up, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry! I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but if I didn’t do this, no one would come to save Sasa. If Sasa truly falls into madness, she’ll destroy the entire city…”

Liu Fenyun confirmed with the System once more before approaching. “Could you step aside? I want to check her condition.”

The Nine-Tails obediently moved, hugging her own tails and watching Qi Ran and Lian Yi through her tears.

“She is indeed in the early stages of demonization,” the System confirmed. It began reading data: “This is a Saber Toothed Tiger demon, the Guardian Spirit of Saint Kun City, named Yin Sa, female, bone age…”

“Just tell me how to cure it,” Liu Fenyun interrupted.

The System paused. “Since it is the early stage, a single drop of your blood will suffice.”

Liu Fenyun took a medicinal bowl from her Pocket Garden Space, filled it halfway with clear water, pricked her finger, and let a drop of blood fall in. After stirring it, she had the fox girl help pry open the tiger’s mouth and slowly poured the water in.

The Nine-Tails stared at the pale red water. Once Liu Fenyun finished, she asked curiously, “Are you a God, too?”

Liu Fenyun blinked. “You know Gods?”

“I know one, but that Lord is in the Demon Realm.” The Nine-Tails closed the tiger’s mouth and wagged her fluffy tails. “It was that Lord who told me to check on Sasa and bring her old friend back to the Demon Realm.”

She cleared her throat and introduced herself seriously: “My name is Tu Shan Shuo, the Young Mistress of Qingyan City in the Demon Realm.”

Liu Fenyun began, “I am…”

“Wait, let’s solve the demon attack issue first,” Qi Ran interrupted, holding her forehead. The white lion in her consciousness was fuming. “Your aura is still attracting demons, and there’s a human patrol squad down the mountain!”

Tu Shan Shuo’s tails curled in fright. She bowed repeatedly. “I’m sorry! I’ll retract it immediately!”

She ran to the edge of the cliff, tripping over her own tails halfway. Using her own blood, she drew a complex rune in the air. Once completed, a fierce wind erupted.

The wind carried maple leaves that absorbed the demonic aura, triggering a hidden restriction. An isolation barrier instantly expanded, reaching the edge of Yellow Leaf Hill.

“Confirmed: The isolation barrier for Yellow Leaf Hill has been reactivated,” the System announced.

Liu Fenyun asked, “Do we still need to clear out the demons?”

“No, the barrier will expel them,” the System replied.

With the aura contained, Tu Shan Shuo returned to the tiger and drew another seal. A white light enveloped the beast. Lian Yi watched as the tiger’s massive frame shrank, eventually turning into a human.

When the light faded, a refined looking woman lay on the ground. She had dark hair, wore black robes, and was very pale. A crimson contract mark sat between her brows, partially hidden by her hair.

Tu Shan Shuo used her tails to lift the woman and carry her into the nest. The three followed.

“Her name is Yin Sa, my best friend,” Tu Shan Shuo explained as she laid her on a stone bed. “She is the Guardian Spirit of Saint Kun City. She’s been here for many, many years and is very friendly to humans. The demonic aura was all me, so please don’t misunderstand her!”

“Your auras are very distinct, we won’t mistake them,” Liu Fenyun said. “For now, you can call me Ran Ji. This cat demon is Yun He, and the leopard over there is Wenzhi. We are traveling together.”

“May I ask, is the God you know named Qi?” Qi Ran suddenly asked.

“Yes! I heard she is the God in charge of Time!” Tu Shan Shuo excitedly wagged her large tails. “Does A-Zhi know that Lord too?”

The nickname “A-Zhi” gave Qi Ran goosebumps. She wasn’t good with overly familiar people (or demons) and stepped back with a polite but awkward smile. “I was once a resident of the Demon Realm, of course I know her.”

“This ordinary demon is far too naive. It’s one thing to not practice in the Royal City, but she came out without a single attendant!” the God Si Yangshen grumbled in Qi Ran’s mind. “What was Qi Niao thinking? This is a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, if an Exorcist or Beast Tamer caught her, her parents would be heartbroken!”

Qi Ran ignored the grumbling and turned to Liu Fenyun. “Should we head back to explain the situation?”

“Let’s find Guard Lin and the others first. It’ll put the patrol soldiers at ease,” Liu Fenyun agreed, taking Lian Yi’s hand.

Qi Ran wasn’t entirely comfortable leaving Yin Sa’s condition unchecked. Seeing the others ready to leave, she said, “Even though the demons outside have dispersed, I’ll stay here just in case.”