On The Self-Cultivation Of A Favored Concubine - Chapter 52

Liu Qinglan transformed back into a snowy white fluff and leaped into the arms of the beautiful Empress.

Xie Xuanzhao reached out to hold her, stroking the soft nape of her neck and curling her small tail inward. Wrapping her in her robes, Xie looked down at the furry cat head resting against her chest and said with a smile, “The horse will be running soon and it will be quite bumpy. You must hold on tight with your little claws; don’t fall off.”

Liu Qinglan gave a cheeky grin and dug her claws firmly into the Empress’s lapel. Hanging onto the beautiful Empress with her whole body, she nodded vigorously.

Xie Xuanzhao flipped onto the horse and, guided by the Book Spirit, galloped toward Qingfeng Town.

Huaidan, having spent the day gathering herbs, was now lying in a bamboo basket atop a pile of plants. Feeling drowsy from the rhythmic swaying, he eventually drifted into a nap.

The evening breeze blew as the horse’s hooves clattered. Pressed against the Empress, the soft fur exposed on Liu Qinglan’s body ruffled in the wind, causing her cat ears to flop down limply.

Xie Xuanzhao felt only a bundle of warmth against her chest, soft and adorable. She couldn’t resist freeing one hand to rub the kitten’s chin. The little Liu demon tilted her head up, squinting her eyes in enjoyment as a flicker of emerald light appeared in her gaze.

The mountain road was full of inclines and declines, making for a bumpy ride. Huaidan’s old bones tossed and turned in the herb pile through his daze, he heard the wind carry fragments of a muffled conversation.

“It will be dark soon. If you feel cold, burrow deeper into my arms.”

“This is fine. I can see you just by looking up.”

“Oh, you little lecherous cat!” The normally calm female voice suddenly cried out, laced with amusement and helplessness.

Whatever Xiao Liu had said, Huaidan didn’t know the specifics of the scene ahead. Drowsiness hit him again, so he hugged a bunch of paper mulberry branches and went back to sleep.

Liu Qinglan used her claws to hook the edge of the inner garment beneath the Empress’s lapel, causing the water-red corset to be faintly visible. The two soft peaks beneath were outlined in a rounded, perfect, and delicate curve.

She purred and whispered, “Empress Sister, be gentle, don’t wake my master.”

Xie Xuanzhao patted the cat’s head. “You were the one who touched me with your claws first.”

“Just give in to me, let me leave a mark.” The Liu demon stared intensely at the nearby heart. With just a quick patter, she could stamp her plum blossom mark.

Seeing her so fixated on “stamping,” Xie Xuanzhao felt both amused and exasperated. “Is this really that important?”

Liu Qinglan nodded. “It’s a marker. Once it’s stamped, you won’t be able to run away.”

“So, if you want to find me, you only need to follow the scent?” Xie Xuanzhao felt a stir in her heart.

“Yes! No matter how far apart we are, I can find you. Even if you undergo reincarnation, I can find you by following the scent.” Liu Qinglan gave a mwah and kissed the Empress’s chest, rubbing against her affectionately.

Only then did Xie Xuanzhao understand the meaning of forming a romantic bond with a demon: it meant being tied together life after life.

“If you can find me, how can I find you?”

Liu Qinglan patted her with a paw. “Don’t worry, I’ll always be by your side. I won’t leave. If I appear near you, the mark will remind you, you’ll feel it. This is a seal between us, like a keepsake, and it won’t disappear or be stolen. It lasts until my demonic power is completely exhausted.”

Xie Xuanzhao was surprised. “Do you demons also have times when your power exhausts?”

“Mhm.” Liu Qinglan nodded seriously. “Just like you humans, we have lifespans, though ours are longer. Some last a few centuries, others tens of thousands of years.”

Xie Xuanzhao pondered. “Then how long can a Feifei demon like you live?”

“Based on my current cultivation, probably a thousand years. Let me calculate… we can probably have five lifetimes of romance!” Liu Qinglan wagged her tail proudly. “That means your next life, the one after that, and the one after that are all booked by me~”

“What if I reincarnate as a small animal, or a plain girl from a poor family? Would you still come for me?” Xie Xuanzhao asked playfully, her interest piqued.

Liu Qinglan pressed her paw against Xie’s heart. “That’s why we need the mark! Your essence won’t change. Even if your status or family changes, the beautiful sister will always be the beautiful sister. You have deep blessings, you won’t turn into a small animal. And even if you become poor, I can support you~”

The Liu demon smiled confidently. “I certainly have the skills to provide for you!”

Xie Xuanzhao felt a warmth in her heart. Since she had always loved beauty and was quite satisfied with her current face, she was naturally pleased. “If your cultivation improves, will your lifespan also extend?”

“Naturally.”

Xie Xuanzhao curled her lips. “Then I permit you to leave the mark on my heart.”

The little cat’s large eyes brightened instantly, her face flushed with excitement. “Here I come then~”

“Mhm, stamp it. But make sure it looks nice.” Xie Xuanzhao looked down at the raised cat paw. Thinking of the benefits, she endured the slight embarrassment and agreed.

Liu Qinglan carefully hooked the edge of the Empress’s corset with her claws, only to find it was tied quite tightly and couldn’t be pulled aside easily.

Xie Xuanzhao couldn’t help but pat her head. “We are outdoors; are you really going to strip my clothes?”

“If I don’t pull it aside, how can I stamp it?” Liu Qinglan continued to fumble with the water-red fabric.

“You can just reach your paw inside.” Xie Xuanzhao sighed, leaning back. Did she really have to be this blunt?

The silly little cat realized. “Oh right! I can do that too!”

Under the moonlight, a beauty in red rode through the mountain path. Clinging to her chest was a small snowy beast, stealthily extending a tiny paw beneath the half-open lapel, finding the water red corset, and slowly sliding inside.

Liu Qinglan rubbed and dawdled, simply wanting to touch the smooth skin for a bit longer.

Xie Xuanzhao took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to swat the furry head. She couldn’t help but urge, “Are you done yet?”

Enjoying the silkiness in her palm, the little demon said solemnly, “Wait a bit. This is a big deal; it can’t be finished in an instant.” As she spoke, she shamelessly kneaded the tender skin beneath her paw.

In truth, it only required a single press to finish.

Liu Qinglan aligned her paw pad with the Empress’s heart, infused it with demonic power, and slowly pressed down a paw print.

Xie Xuanzhao felt a surge of warmth at her chest. She pulled the reins, slowing the horse, and looked down at her white skin.

A pale pink, plum-blossom shaped cat paw print emerged on her skin, its edges glowing with a faint emerald light, the manifestation of Liu Qinglan’s power.

As the paw was withdrawn, the pink print gradually faded into the skin.

Xie Xuanzhao asked in wonder, “Why did it disappear?”

“Because it’s not just printed on your body. This body will age and die, but the mark must follow you forever. It’s actually printed on your soul, so it can’t be erased or lost.” Liu Qinglan explained patiently.

Xie Xuanzhao had assumed it would stay visible, so she was satisfied with this outcome. “Under what circumstances will it reappear?”

“When we meet again in the next life, it will flash briefly. Usually, it stays hidden. Though invisible to the eye, we demons can smell its aura.” Liu Qinglan clumsily helped tidy the Empress’s lapels and then patted them contentedly. “There, it’s a success.”

Actually… there was another situation where the mark would appear. Liu Qinglan’s face turned red; she was too embarrassed to tell the Empress.

She thought to herself: The Empress will find out eventually anyway!

On the other side of the mountain forest, the guard detail was escorting the imperial family and officials back from the hunt, continuing their night march.

Most people in the carriages had retired for the rest, but one carriage still held a glowing candle.

The head of the Xie family leaned against a cushion, one long leg bent, holding a book in his hand. He was focused on his reading, the light from a fine jade lamp casting a soft glow on his indifferent, handsome profile.

Outside the carriage window, a “little fat bird” with a reed tube tied to its leg flew past the guards, searching among the carriages for the person it was meant to deliver a message to.

Lin Yurang, having offended the Emperor earlier and feeling dejected, was sitting outside his carriage to catch the breeze. In the moonlight, he saw a chubby little bird flying back and forth and couldn’t help but stare.

A thought suddenly struck him. This bird is so beautiful and cute. If I catch it and present it to the Emperor to cheer him up, His Majesty might stop being angry!

He immediately ordered a servant to bring a small bow and feathered arrows.

These were toy sets intended for the young prince. Lin Yulang didn’t want to wound the bird, since it was a gift, so the small bow was perfect.

The little fat bird flapped its wings, skimming past the windows until it finally caught the scent of the Xie family head.

Excited, it tapped on the carriage window with its wings.

The Xie family head turned his head. Huh? Is a bird knocking on the window?

Puzzled, he put down his book, his heart filled with suspicion. In the middle of the night, in the deep forest, a bird knocking on a window was incredibly eerie.

Seeing him rise, the bird tapped even harder, but its movements were so vigorous that the tip of its wing actually poked through the window paper!

“Chirp!”

The Xie family head’s eyes narrowed as he saw a thin feathered arrow whistling toward the little fat bird from behind!

The arrow came swiftly, cutting through the cold wind and ruffling the little bird’s feathers.