Lin Yuan descended to the kitchen with heavy steps. His hair was a mess, his eyes half-open, and a lazy aura clung to him like morning mist. His long hair was still wet, droplets of water sliding slowly from the tips.
The sound of sizzling oil filled the kitchen.
Yu Wu stood before the stove, busy flipping something that, in theory, was supposed to be breakfast.
His brow immediately furrowed when he saw Lin Yuan.
"What happened to you? You look like a dead fish that forgot how to breathe," Yun Wu mocked without even turning around.
Lin Yuan collapsed onto a wooden chair with a dramatic thud.
"You'll find out soon enough…" he muttered weakly.
Yun Wu merely raised an eyebrow, his expression flat, before returning his attention to cooking as if the comment wasn't worth thinking about.
Of course, he knew what had happened last night.
When the night had grown silent, he sensed unusual movement around Xue Yunxue's room. Even though Luo Shixin had carefully concealed his aura, Lin Yuan was still a level-ninety-plus beastman—his sharpened senses easily caught the presence of that eagle.
But… he had been too lazy to care.
If someone was bold enough to take Yunxue away in the middle of the night, then that person should also be ready to face the consequences. Lin Yuan chose to sleep.
Or at least… tried to.
"I'm making breakfast," Yun Wu finally said, his tone slightly friendlier than usual. "Want a portion?"
Lin Yuan's body instantly stiffened.
Slowly, he turned toward the stove.
On top of it sat something blackish-brown that emitted a deeply suspicious smell. Burnt meat and charred eggs fused together into an abstract shape that resembled a prehistoric fossil more than food.
The corner of Lin Yuan's eye twitched.
This wolf… was truly a disaster when it came to cooking.
Every dish Yun Wu made shared one common trait: the potential to end the life of whoever ate it.
"No need," Lin Yuan answered quickly, his face pale. "I… don't have much appetite."
He wasn't even sure that thing still qualified as food.
Yun Wu didn't look offended at all. He took a plate of his own cooking, sat calmly, and began eating slowly.
His brows furrowed slightly.
He chewed for a long time.
A very long time.
Several seconds passed in awkward silence.
"…Hmm."
He swallowed with difficulty, then murmured softly, as if reaching a scientific conclusion.
"Maybe the fire was too strong."
Lin Yuan stared at him blankly.
How had this wolf survived alone all this time? His stomach must be made of steel to digest something that terrifying.
"By the way, where's Yunxue?" Yun Wu asked. He hadn't seen her come down for breakfast, and the only one who had stayed with her last night was this merman.
"A bird took her last night and hasn't returned her yet," Lin Yuan replied lazily.
Yun Wu fell silent for a moment. Luo Shixin took her last night? If Lu Xiao found out, things were about to become very interesting.
He had no sexual interest in Xue Yunxue, yet knowing the girl might have completed her marriage with Luo Shixin left an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.
After all, they were all her beast husbands, and Luo Shixin certainly had the right to spend the night with her.
Lu Xiao returned before noon.
The sky was still bright, yet the air around the house suddenly changed—heavier, colder, as if something powerful had just crossed into their territory.
The front door opened slowly.
With a single step, he entered the house.
A dense black aura flowed faintly around his body. It was not wild nor explosive… but perfectly controlled. Yet the pressure of that power was so dominant that the window curtains trembled gently without any wind touching them.
It was obvious—
the vampire had broken through his limits.
Advancing several levels at once.
Lin Yuan watched him with a sour, slightly envious expression.
Was this man about to surpass him?
Lu Xiao's gaze fell on Lin Yuan.
"Where is Yunxue?" he asked, scanning the surroundings. He could not sense her anywhere—not even a trace of her energy.
His eyes settled on Lin Yuan, who had spent the previous night with her.
"Don't look at me like I'm her guardian. Someone sneaked in and took her last night," Lin Yuan said lazily.
"What do you mean?" Lu Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed uneasily.
"Last night, Luo Shixin took her from her room and brought her somewhere. No idea where," Lin Yuan answered truthfully.
Lu Xiao's crimson eyes sharpened.
That damned bird had stolen her while he let his guard down! A terrible premonition filled his heart.
Everyone in the room knew the eagle beastman had entered his mating season.
The veins on Lu Xiao's forehead throbbed violently, killing intent erupting from him and spreading for kilometers, forcing low-level beastmen within a five-kilometer radius to retreat immediately.
"No matter what, Luo Shixin is also her beast husband. You can't keep her all to yourself," Lin Yuan said.
In truth, Lin Yuan had little interest in any woman. He admitted Xue Yunxue was somewhat attractive and possessed extremely rare power, but such minor interest would never make him compete for a female's attention.
The only thing that truly fascinated him was becoming stronger through cultivation. The merman was obsessed with reaching the Taigu level.
Lu Xiao suppressed his killing intent. He decided to wait for the pair to return—and settle accounts with Luo Shixin afterward.
What none of them knew was that after an eagle beastman released his desires with his mate, cultivation became easier, and they would enter their peak condition.
Luo Shixin lowered his head, gazing at the girl sleeping soundly in his arms. Her breathing was light yet uneven, as if her small body had finally surrendered after carrying too much burden. Tear marks still lingered at the corners of her eyes, faintly glimmering under the dim firelight.
Her body was slender and petite—almost swallowed within Luo Shixin's tall, muscular embrace. The contrast between them was striking, like a small bird sheltered beneath an eagle's wings.
Without realizing it, Luo Shixin's gaze softened.
With extreme care, he laid the girl down upon a flat stone covered with animal fur. His fingers moved gently, as if even the wind was not allowed to disturb her sleep.
He did not want to wake Yunxue.
After ensuring she rested comfortably, Luo Shixin stood and stepped out of the cave.
Night had once again blanketed the sky. Dark clouds rolled slowly, devouring the moonlight until the world appeared deep and silent. His brows knit slightly, as if sensing something wrong in the air.
The next second, golden light enveloped his body.
His human silhouette elongated as bones and muscles transformed within a flash of spiritual energy. In a single breath, Luo Shixin transformed into a massive golden-brown eagle. His wings spread wide, releasing spiritual pressure so immense that the surrounding trees trembled.
With a powerful beat of his wings, he shot into the night sky, leaving a spiraling current of wind in his wake.
Not long after, the shadow of the eagle descended once more from the heavens. The figure landed lightly before the cave, returning to human form. In his hand was a bucket of clear water that reflected the starlight—mountain spring water he had taken from a nearby source.
The golden glow slowly faded as Luo Shixin fully resumed his human shape. The night wind whispered outside the cave, while inside only the gentle warmth of a small flickering fire remained.
He knelt beside Xue Yunxue.
Pouring the mountain water into his palm, Luo Shixin began to wash her carefully. The water was crystal clear, carrying a cool spiritual aura that soothed the soul. His rough fingertips moved with extreme caution, a stark contrast to his reputation as a warrior capable of tearing through battlefields. Every motion was filled with patience and quiet gentleness.
Xue Yunxue faintly felt the touch.
Her consciousness hovered between waking and sleep; she knew someone was caring for her. That warm, familiar aura unconsciously calmed her heart. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, but the exhaustion weighing on her body was too heavy to resist. She sank back into sleep, allowing herself to lean on Luo Shixin's presence.
His gaze softened.
After cleaning her, Luo Shixin retrieved a long, soft yellow dress from his storage ring. The fabric was light like dawn's first glow, decorated with delicate patterns that shimmered faintly beneath the firelight.
With utmost care, he dressed Xue Yunxue, avoiding any rough movement that might disturb her rest. His actions were slow and solemn, like a silent ritual meant for only one person in this world.
When he finished, he pulled a wool blanket over her body.
Luo Shixin sat beside her for a while. The campfire crackled softly, warm light dancing along the cave walls. With a wave of his hand, several food containers appeared from his storage space. Casually, he reheated them over the fire until the aroma of roasted meat gradually filled the air.
Soon, Xue Yunxue's eyelashes fluttered.
The savory scent slipped into her dreams, gently drawing her consciousness back. Her stomach growled softly, betraying the hunger she had endured for far too long.
She slowly opened her eyes.
"You're awake?" Luo Shixin's voice was low and calm. "Eat something before we head back."
He handed her a large bowl filled with fried meat and preserved jerky, still steaming warmly.
Xue Yunxue stared at him for a moment, her cheeks flushing for no clear reason. His expression was far too calm… as if nothing had happened, while she still felt awkward even moving.
She accepted the bowl with both hands and began eating.
To her surprise, it was delicious. His cooking had improved greatly.
The meat was tender, the seasoning perfectly absorbed—warm and comforting, like spiritual energy slowly restoring her body. She secretly glanced at Luo Shixin.
This man… truly possessed too many abilities. Not only was he skilled in battle and swordsmanship, even his cooking was nearly flawless.
Yet as warmth spread through her body, another awareness returned.
Her entire body felt weak and sore, as if every bone had been rebuilt from scratch. She had struggled with this man for nearly twenty-four hours without pause. She had fainted countless times, yet he had seemed unwilling to stop. Certain sensitive parts of her body still carried faint aches that made her unconsciously frown.
Fragments of last night's memories flashed through her mind.
Her face immediately burned.
Internally, she cursed Luo Shixin thousands of times.
That man truly… did not understand the meaning of restraint.
After she finished eating, Luo Shixin suddenly remembered something. He took out a single feather from his storage space. It was smooth and dark crimson, its thin tips glowing orange like flickering flames.
Xue Yunxue's eyes widened.
Was that… a Phoenix feather?
"You managed to obtain it? How?" she asked, reaching for it. But Luo Shixin instead pulled her waist closer while lifting the feather out of reach.
"What if we do it once more before going back?" he asked, his gaze filled with unmistakable passion.
Xue Yunxue immediately grew furious and pushed against his chest.
"No! Haven't you been satisfied tormenting me for an entire day?!" She tried to stand and grab the feather.
Luo Shixin chuckled softly. His usually cold face relaxed into a faint laugh—the first time she had ever seen him laugh.
"Alright. I was going to give this to you anyway."
He lightly kissed her lips—gentle, soft, without force.
Xue Yunxue examined the Phoenix feather in her hand with amazement. It was incredibly beautiful and delicate.
"Can I get another one?" she asked.
Luo Shixin sighed quietly, his brows knitting.
"I can't guarantee that."
Xue Yunxue lay upon the back of the giant eagle gliding peacefully through the night sky. Golden-brown wings parted the clouds slowly, each beat creating warm currents of wind.
She shifted slightly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the soft feathers beneath her. Softer than the finest silk. Warm, clean, carrying a faint scent of forest and calming spiritual energy.
This man really is too perfect… she thought silently.
Even in beast form, Luo Shixin remained neat and clean. There was none of the wild, bloody scent common among other beasts—only a fresh fragrance that made her feel safe without realizing it.
The night wind brushed through her hair while the vast sky stretched above like an ocean of stars. For a moment, she nearly fell asleep again, her body still exhausted after the long night that had drained all her strength.
But the journey ended too quickly.
In moments, their home appeared in the distance.
The giant eagle descended slowly and landed lightly in the courtyard, almost without sound. The instant his feet touched the ground, a heavy spiritual pressure filled the air.
Someone was waiting.
Lu Xiao stood outside the house.
His robe fluttered gently in the wind, yet the killing intent surrounding him was so dense that the air itself felt frozen. That murderous aura could be sensed from kilometers away—wild, cold, and barely restrained.
Clearly, he had been waiting for a long time.
Perhaps… since morning.
Had Luo Shixin been even a minute late, the surrounding forest might already have been flattened by his anger.
The eagle transformed back into human form in a flash of golden light.
Xue Yunxue quickly climbed down, but the moment her feet touched the ground, her steps faltered. Her legs felt weak, yet she forced herself to walk normally despite the awkwardness. Luo Shixin tried to support her, but she immediately brushed his hand away.
"I can walk myself."
She clearly knew Lu Xiao stood at the doorway, yet she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze as she walked past him. At this moment, she felt like someone caught cheating.
Lu Xiao observed her strange gait and the lingering masculine scent of the eagle clinging to her body. Instantly, he understood what had happened. He drew a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.
He would beat that shameless eagle when the opportunity came.
Inside the living room, Lin Yuan and Yun Wu watched Xue Yunxue enter, walking oddly. The strong masculine scent pierced their senses immediately—it unmistakably belonged to Luo Shixin.
Yun Wu's eyes grew darker than usual, while Lin Yuan's expression turned icy cold.
"Yunxue," Lin Yuan asked calmly, staring at her slightly pale face, "who will you sleep with tonight?"
Xue Yunxue's brows twitched violently.
"Not tonight. I'm not feeling well," Yunxue said before quickly hurrying back to her room.
Lu Xiao stared at Luo Shixin, who still stood calmly outside. His face flushed crimson, and his red eyes gleamed with undisguised fury as he narrowed his gaze at the eagle before him.
"I never expected that a great general like you would turn out to be a thief who sneaks around at night," Lu Xiao mocked coldly.
"Oh? Then perhaps you shouldn't blame others for your own incompetence," Luo Shixin replied with a faint smile.
Lu Xiao nearly exploded with rage, yet he could do nothing. His body suddenly dissolved into thin mist before vanishing into the darkness of the night.
For the past few days, the royal capital had fallen into a strange calm.
The main streets remained lively, nobles continued attending banquets, and palace music still echoed each night. Yet beneath the splendor, the air felt unnaturally still—like the surface of a lake before a devastating storm.
Inside one of the grand palaces, Hu Lian sat leisurely within her private courtyard. A long pale-green silk dress flowed elegantly across the jade floor, while a porcelain cup of jasmine tea rested in her hand, releasing a gentle fragrance.
She appeared calm.
Far too calm.
The morning breeze drifted softly… then stopped.
White mist suddenly crept silently into the courtyard, sliding across the ground like a living creature. It swirled, condensed, and slowly formed the outline of a human figure.
A tall, slender man emerged from within.
His skin was pale, almost translucent, his face handsome yet cold—like a corpse that had not entirely lost the beauty of life. Long white hair fell to his waist, and his black robe seemed fused with the surrounding shadows.
A sacred aura intertwined with darkness enveloped him—oppressive yet invisible.
The royal priest.
Hu Lian immediately rose to her feet, a gentle smile appearing on her face as though she had long anticipated his arrival.
"Priest," she said softly, offering a graceful bow. "Please, have a seat."
With a wave of her hand, the servants withdrew at once. The courtyard doors closed slowly, leaving only the two of them within the silence.
The moment the last servant disappeared, the air turned noticeably colder.
The white-haired man sat without a sound. His pale eyes stared at Hu Lian as though piercing through her skin and into her soul.
"You have already obtained what you desired," he said quietly. His voice was gentle, yet it carried a pressure that made the entire space feel heavy. "Isn't it time you fulfilled your promise to us?"
Hu Lian's smile stiffened slightly.
Her face paled for a brief moment, but she quickly lowered her head gracefully, restoring the soft, harmless expression of a royal princess.
"Lord Mo Yin," she said slowly, her tone almost pleading, "please be patient a little longer. Of course I will honor my promise."
She lifted her gaze, her beautiful eyes filled with carefully crafted innocence.
"It's just that… at the moment, I am merely an ordinary princess. I do not yet hold any military authority. Without that, how could I possibly give you what you want?"
The man before her—Mo Yin—remained silent.
That name was not one meant to be spoken beneath open daylight.
He was the figure once mentioned by Tao Lin, the Immortal Peach Tree.
Mo Yin—the one responsible for the death of Princess Hu Shui, the true Star Princess. The same man who had transformed Hu Shui's body into a living puppet, one of the leaders of the dark forces operating behind the kingdom's shadows.
Thin mist swirled again around his feet.
A faint smile appeared on Mo Yin's pale lips.
"Our patience… is not without limits, Princess Hu Lian."
The temperature of the courtyard dropped sharply.
The warm steam rising from the jasmine tea froze midair before slowly dissipating. The tea leaves trembled faintly, as if sensing the invisible pressure filling the space.
Hu Lian remained seated upright, though her fingertips began to feel cold.
"There is no need to rush," she said softly, trying to maintain her elegant smile. "After all… the real Star Princess already died by your hand, didn't she?"
Silence fell.
The white mist around Mo Yin rotated slowly, like the breathing of a living being.
"You are correct," he finally replied, his voice gentle yet devoid of emotion. "However, my people cannot wait much longer."
His pale eyes locked onto Hu Lian, invisible pressure weighing upon her shoulders like a mountain.
"If you cannot obtain Yanhuo's military power," he continued flatly, "then this cooperation holds no meaning."
Hu Lian's smile nearly collapsed.
Before she could respond, Mo Yin spoke again—his voice lower, colder.
"I am capable of making you the true princess beneath this heaven."
The mist around him darkened briefly.
"And I am equally capable… of returning you to nothing more than an ordinary beastwoman hiding in the mountains, forgotten by the world."
The words fell like blades.
Hu Lian's hand unconsciously tightened around her teacup until her knuckles turned white. The hot liquid inside rippled, yet she felt nothing at all.
The threat was not spoken in anger.
Precisely because it was so calm, it felt far more terrifying.
"I do not have much time," Mo Yin continued as he slowly stood. His black robe seemed to dissolve into the shadows. "The rebels have become too troublesome. So… you would do well to complete your task soon."
White mist once again enveloped his body.
The tall figure slowly faded, transforming into thin strands of smoke that spiraled through the air before disappearing completely, leaving the courtyard in an oppressive silence.
The wind began to blow again.
Hu Lian's beautiful face gradually darkened.
The stillness of the courtyard pressed heavily upon her, as if the secret she had buried deep within her heart had risen once more to haunt her.
Because the truth was…
She was never the princess of the Yanhuo Kingdom.
Nor was she the Star Princess foretold by heaven.
Everything was nothing more than a perfectly constructed lie.
Years ago, Mo Yin had already infiltrated the Yanhuo Kingdom under the identity of a young royal priest. With his sacred status and prophetic abilities, he slowly gained the complete trust of the royal family. His words were regarded as the will of heaven itself, and none dared question his prophecies.
And then—whether by coincidence or by a destiny deliberately created—
Mo Yin found her inside a mountain cave.
At that time, Hu Lian was nothing more than a wild girl surviving by scavenging scraps in the forest. Her body was thin, her clothes tattered, yet her face possessed enough beauty to become raw material for a plan.
He took her away.
From that day onward, her life became a hell wrapped in luxury.
She was trained without mercy.
How to walk, how to speak, how to look at others—even how to smile. Every detail was reshaped as if carving a statue. Every minor mistake was punished with cold, merciless discipline, until the wild mountain girl slowly disappeared.
What remained… was Hu Lian.
A perfect princess.
From the very beginning, she had only been a pawn.
An agent of the Dark Authority planted directly at the heart of the Yanhuo Kingdom.
A false princess… prepared to replace the real one.
Hu Lian lowered her head.
She understood the cruelest truth of all.
She was only a temporary substitute.
A chess piece that could be discarded at any moment.
And Mo Yin… had never hesitated to eliminate pawns that had outlived their usefulness.
He had made her a princess for one purpose alone—to hand the military power of Yanhuo into his control.
In truth, she had never been prepared to become a princess.
She had been prepared to become a replacement soul.
About a year ago…
Hu Shui's body—the previous vessel—became increasingly difficult to control. The ancient seal within her constantly resisted the dark energy, causing the power inside her to grow chaotic and unstable.
Mo Yin then attempted his boldest solution.
He tried to fuse Hu Lian's soul into Hu Shui's body so the original identity could remain intact without arousing suspicion.
But the body rejected her.
Every ritual ended the same way.
Hu Lian's soul was violently expelled, repeatedly shattered by the ancient seal's power until even her soul core began to crack. The pain nearly destroyed her consciousness.
In the end, Mo Yin chose another path.
As the royal priest, he could influence the emperor through prophecy.
So he… forged destiny itself.
Through a manipulated ritual, Mo Yin proclaimed that the emperor actually had another daughter—one lost since childhood—the Star Princess destined to bring glory to the Yanhuo Kingdom.
No one dared doubt heaven's voice spoken through the royal priest.
And at that moment, Hu Lian appeared.
A princess who had been "rediscovered."
She was elevated as a legitimate royal princess, welcomed with grandeur and praised throughout the capital.
Meanwhile, Hu Shui's body, deemed a failure, began to be discarded.
They staged a death—claiming the girl had taken her own life under emotional distress. A solemn funeral was held, and the world believed her story had ended.
But they did not know one thing.
The Tao Lin seal embedded within Hu Shui's body never allowed her to truly die.
The body remained alive.
Breathing faintly within the darkness of the tomb.
About a year later, when Mo Yin secretly opened the royal grave, he discovered the corpse still intact—neither decayed nor frozen, still carrying a faint pulse of life.
His fury nearly lost control.
Believing his plans were once again being obstructed, Mo Yin ordered his subordinates to discard the body in a remote wasteland, ensuring it would vanish forever from the world.
Yet fate played its hand once more.
The place where the body was abandoned… lay near the Immortal Peach Tree.
Guided by Tao Lin's seal, Hu Shui's body slowly moved, dragging itself until it finally came to rest beneath the Immortal Peach Tree—as if waiting for something to awaken once again.
Neither Mo Yin nor Hu Lian knew this truth.
Both believed that Hu Shui had truly been erased from the face of the world.