The woman was dumbfounded, her face full of confusion.
She stood frozen in place like an ice sculpture.
She parted her crimson lips and asked in disbelief.
Yi Feng sighed with emotion. "To be precise, it took two days and one shichen (two hours). I didn’t stop even once—it was exhausting."
Ning Qing’s lips twitched.
She fell into a long silence.
Someone like him shouldn’t be unknown in the Heavenly Domain.
But she had never heard of him before.
She followed Yi Feng onto Manman’s back as they headed toward Demon City.
During their journey, Yi Feng learned that the woman’s name was Ning Qing.
However, Ning Qing had been injured earlier by demonic creatures and hadn’t treated her wounds. Combined with Manman’s speed—which was far beyond what she could endure—she eventually passed out.
When Ning Qing regained consciousness, she found herself lying in a small pavilion.
Downstairs, several shadowy figures were sneaking around.
"What should we do, my lord?" Gou Da asked nervously. "That terrifying demon may have left, but he left a woman here. What does this mean?"
"Maybe we should just… get rid of her?"
Evil Wolf smacked him across the face.
"If this woman belongs to that demon, and she dies, do you think he won’t come after us?" Evil Wolf said sternly. "So not only can we not harm her, we must treat her with the utmost respect—serve her, care for her, be polite and kind. Only then will that demon spare us."
"But if that’s the case, won’t our city-wide disguise plan have to continue indefinitely?" Gou Da said resentfully. "If this woman stays for a year, we’ll have to keep up the act for a year. If she stays for ten years, we’ll have to pretend for ten years!"
Evil Wolf raised a finger, speaking with solemn wisdom. "Actually, I’ve been thinking—pretending to be human isn’t so bad. Cooking, brewing wine… it’s quite enjoyable."
"Besides, for a demon, mastering the art of disguise is an invaluable skill!"
"Sooner or later, humans and demons will go to war. If the demons are ever at a disadvantage, we can infiltrate human society, blend in, and destroy them from within…"
Hearing this, Gou Da and Gou Er nodded in agreement.
"Lord Evil Wolf’s foresight is truly remarkable—sacrificing for the sake of the demon race."
"Flattery isn’t necessary."
Evil Wolf clasped his hands behind his back, puffing up with pride. "But I must say, your vision and perspective are still too narrow."
As they spoke, the group transformed from their demonic forms into humans and began ascending the stairs.
Unbeknownst to them, Ning Qing—who had just woken up—had witnessed everything.
Though she hadn’t heard their conversation, she had clearly seen the moment they shapeshifted.
She held her breath, suppressing her aura, pressing herself against the wall in fear of being discovered.
Yet, despite her efforts, cold sweat dripped from her forehead, and her chest heaved violently.
Horns on their heads.
Human explorers who ventured into the terrifying Level-Six Forbidden Zone had perished in droves, but the only message they managed to send back was this warning.
Demonic creatures were divided into various races, and among them, the wolf tribe—once they reached a certain level of power—would grow horns. If one encountered a horned wolf demon, they were to flee immediately.
Perhaps the rumors were exaggerated, but they certainly weren’t baseless.
At the very least, for Ning Qing, a wolf demon with such a trait was beyond her wildest nightmares.
By human cultivation standards, they were at least at the Dao-Unity Realm—possibly even the Dao-Ascension Realm.
She never imagined that, upon waking from unconsciousness, she would come face-to-face with such legendary demons—and at such close proximity.
The sound of knocking sent a jolt through Ning Qing’s nerves, making her delicate body tremble uncontrollably.
The knocking came again.
Her nerves stretched even tighter as she suppressed her aura to the absolute limit, not daring to leak even a trace.
To her shock, the door was pushed open without warning.
Standing before her were the terrifying wolf demon and the other shapeshifted demons she had just seen.
Ning Qing’s heart sank.
Her face turned ashen, eyes filled with despair.
She had been discovered after all.
Closing her eyes, she braced for death.
There was no way she could escape unscathed from demons of this caliber.
To her utter disbelief, the fearsome wolf demon stepped forward and gently took her hands.
His expression was warm, almost affectionate.
Then, in the gentlest voice, he spoke:
"Awooo~ Fair Lady Ning Qing, you’re awake?"
"Oh heavens, what wonderful news!"
"Why are you standing here instead of resting in bed?"
"And your complexion is dreadfully pale—you must be starving!"
"Curse my negligence for not preparing a feast for the lovely Lady Ning Qing. How disgraceful!"
"Awooo~ Fair Lady Ning Qing, please allow me to escort you back to your bed."
"And you two—hurry and prepare a banquet for our honored guest!"