Under the moonlight, the witch and the female ghost chatted with great delight, their delicate laughter ringing out again and again. Before long they were calling each other sisters, wearing the look of two who lamented not having met sooner—all that was missing was a sworn oath of sisterhood right then and there.
Just how much sincerity lay in their words, both understood perfectly well.
"The epochs turn, and demonkind shall rise. As a demon of ambition, it is only right to wipe out the humans, to work the great overturning of heaven and earth, to found an immortal demon nation…"
Bathed in moonlight, Li Fei held forth to the female ghost with easy eloquence, her eyes bright and glowing with the light of an idealist.
With the corpse in its python robe lying at her feet as a token of allegiance, Li Fei's words carried tremendous persuasive weight.
The female ghost tittered, and without realizing it let her true form slip through—her eyes had become nothing but pools of pitch black, no whites at all, an eerie, sinister sight that sent chills down the spine.
She leaned close to Li Fei's ear and spoke in a soft, insinuating voice, "Dear sister, why not plot the great scheme together?"
"Oh?"
Li Fei let a look of pleasant surprise cross her face at just the right moment, clasping the ghost's cold, pale hand. "So sister thinks the same?"
"Indeed. And for that I have Granny's guidance to thank."
The female ghost finally got to the point. "I was but a wandering spirit, a stray ghost drifting through my days in a daze, and I nearly fell prey to some wretched Daoist priest… Luckily I came upon Granny. Her old heart is generous and kind—over the years she has sheltered countless lesser demons like us, taking the enlightenment of all demonkind as her own duty…"
Granny? What is this, a live reenactment of A Chinese Ghost Story?
Li Fei had guessed where the ghost came from, but she kept her expression unreadable, feigning rapt attention as she listened to the ghost's drivel.
Which demon in these parts paid the closest attention to the Demon Suppression Bureau's movements?
The Thousand-Year Tree Demon, honored with the elegant title of Death-Devouring Demon King.
The Demon Suppression Bureau had made it plain that they were coming for the Tree Demon and the Longevity Fruit, with no interest in bothering any other demons; and the other demons, naturally, had no wish to wade into muddy waters for nothing.
Under such circumstances, there was no chance the demons would ever unite to fight the Demon Suppression Bureau together. They only hoped the Tree Demon and the Bureau would battle each other into mutual ruin, leaving easy pickings for themselves.
Which meant the Tree Demon was, without question, the party most in need of finding allies.
That was why Li Fei had stirred up such a grand commotion tonight, using herself as bait to see whether she could reel a few fish in. And if the fish would not bite, she would simply have to wait by the stump for a hare.
And things had gone rather smoothly—the plumpest fish of all had come and bitten the hook of its own accord.
"Could it be that your Granny… is the legendary Death-Devouring Demon King?"
Once the ghost had said about all she was going to, Li Fei named the Tree Demon outright, her face filled with yearning. "Doing bloody battle with the Corpse King, driving back the Bureau's Innate—it makes a demon's heart long for such greatness!"
"That's right."
The ghost laughed behind her hand. "And where might sister hail from?"
"From wherever I came from."
Li Fei brushed the question aside and heaped extravagant praise on the Tree Demon. "The Death-Devouring Demon King's presence overshadows the world—truly a model for all demonkind…"
The ghost voiced agreement again and again, then quickly changed her tune, sighing mournfully:
"Ah, but Granny fought that Corpse King, and then was wounded by a treacherous ambush from the Bureau's villains—her vital essence is depleted… Now that pack of humans hounds her without cease, coveting Granny's treasure. Should some misfortune befall the old one, we wretched, hard-fated demons will likely be cast adrift once more, living in ceaseless dread beneath the humans' hunting blades."
At this Li Fei slapped her thigh in fury. "Those Bureau rats—they bully demonkind too far!"
—And why not slap your own thigh instead, hm?
Ghosts feel pain too, and she knit her brow, forcing a smile. "Blame it only on our bitter fate…"
"No, this demon's eyes cannot abide a single grain of sand—there is nothing I loathe more than kicking someone when they're down, than the persecution of demonkind!"
Li Fei declared, righteous indignation brimming over, "Whatever the difficulty, just say the word—I'll never refuse."
"As it happens, Granny has of late been gathering the demon hordes, meaning to see that the Bureau's people come but never return…"
the ghost said, her meaning pointed.
"Oh? How could I be left out of something like this?"
Li Fei patted the ghost's shoulder. "Dear sister, why not put in a word to introduce me?"
"That is just what sister was thinking."
The ghost readily agreed. "Only, a ghost of such lowly standing carries little weight, and this is not mine to decide… Please wait a while, sister. I'll return now to report the matter to Granny, and bring word back to you when it's done."
"Dear sister."
Li Fei looked at her, rather moved. "And by what name should I call sister?"
"Just call me Xiao Lian."
The ghost made a show of bashful charm, twirling the ends of her hair around a fingertip, and asked in turn for Li Fei's name.
Li Fei only smiled without answering, and snapped her fingers. At once a sprite flew over, thoughtfully offering brush and ink.
Once Li Fei took up the brush and wrote her name upon the ghost's pale, slender arm, the two of them—one living, one dead—exchanged a few more flirtatious words before Xiao Lian, loath to part, at last bid her farewell.
Yet just before leaving, Xiao Lian cast a seemingly careless glance at the house that had appeared so abruptly, and at the two human women inside. Her eyes, now restored to their clear black-and-white, rolled about—but she said nothing more, drifting silently off into the darkness.
"Back to playing the double agent again, is it…"
Li Fei watched Xiao Lian go in silence, until she vanished into the swaying spectral shadows cast by the dense forest.
The keen perception granted by her high Intelligence and Agility let her faintly sense that Xiao Lian had truly departed—but another ghostly thing was watching her from the shadows.
Li Fei gave no sign of noticing, and turned to go back inside.
Though the one harbored sinister intent and the other spun ghostly lies, and neither believed a single word the other said, their aims for the moment aligned—and so witch and ghost hit it off at once.
Li Fei did not expect to win the other side's full trust in so short a time—that was not realistic—but she was certain that the Tree Demon, facing the Demon Suppression Bureau's hungry, watching eyes, would be desperate to find helping hands.
What she had to do was dispel the demons' wariness as much as possible, work her way inside, and carve out more room to maneuver—aiming to sweep up demons and Bureau alike in one pot, and in the end achieve her goal of both fat pockets and fat experience gains.
Of course, before the main course, one needed an appetizer to whet the palate.
Inside, Li Fei linked her arm affectionately through Wang Yutong's, smiling brightly at Qiao'er.
"Sister Qiao'er, it's getting late. Go and rest."
"Mm."
Qiao'er nodded softly, slowly closing her book and rising.
"Ah, I nearly forgot—I haven't shown you to a room to choose yet."
Li Fei crooked a finger, a charming smile blooming. "Come with me."
The three passed down the corridor, two ahead and one behind, until Li Fei stopped before a bedroom prepared in advance. She pushed the door open with a casual hand and glanced back to ask, "There—does it suit you?"
The room was plain and tidy, an antique, spacious bookcase set against the wall and crammed full of books—clearly suited to one who loved quiet.
"Thank you."
Qiao'er nodded her thanks and said nothing more, walking quietly into the room.
But as she brushed past Li Fei, the demoness's faint whisper drifted into her ear:
"If I share a bed with Miss Wang tonight, sister Qiao'er won't be jealous, will she?"
Qiao'er's steps paused. Her voice was calm. "No."
"Then I'm reassured."
Li Fei patted her own chest lightly, bid her goodnight, then led Wang Yutong gracefully away, leaving Qiao'er with nothing but the sight of a lithe, fragrant retreating figure.
Qiao'er watched them go, alone, and then clapped a hand over her mouth—a welling sourness flooded her mouth, and even the tip of her tongue turned faintly bitter.
Wang Yutong had wronged her twice; to claim she bore no resentment would be a lie.
And yet Qiao'er knew all too well how rotten her young mistress's nature was. The lowly affection that had taken root in her heart over so many years—her first love, no less—how could it be pulled out entirely just because that woman had done two even more rotten things?
Nothing in this world was harder than letting go. Only new love and time could truly wear feelings away… No matter how heartbroken, how despairing she was at each betrayal, from her ash-gray heart there always grew tendrils that could never be fully cut away—like love and hatred locked in endless entanglement.
And then there was that peerless, dazzling demoness, who at every moment gave off an intoxicating fragrance of tea, seeping into her heart through every crack, charging about wildly like an unreasoning young beast.
And in this moment, Qiao'er watched helplessly as her new love—so bold and warm toward her—and her old love, who in ten years of adoration had never once given her a kind look, nestled close together and walked off toward the same bedroom.
Unwilling to accept it, yet powerless to change it.
Gurgle, gurgle-gurgle…
More and more silt welled up from the depths of her heart, brimming over, a sickening sound echoing in her ears.
Qiao'er stood outside the door a long while, the light in her eyes growing deeper and darker, edged with an icy chill.
Only when the two figures had vanished from sight did Qiao'er, without a trace of drowsiness, drift almost unconsciously toward the bookcase to pick out a book.
These books had been bought for Li Fei back when she was in Luyuan County, on her order to Squire Wang—she had said that, having long dwelt deep in the mountains and grown out of touch with the mortal world, she needed to catch up on her studies. Squire Wang, naturally not daring to slight the demoness, had sent his servants scouring every bookshop in the city; the volumes they procured spanned everything from history and culture to esoteric arcane lore, and he had even pulled a good many rare, one-of-a-kind editions from the Wang family's own library, terrified of displeasing her.
Qiao'er soon set her eye on a copy of Records of Demon Sealing. She had heard of the book long ago and yearned for it, but it was precious, always kept shelved out of reach by the Wang family, and she had never had the chance to so much as open it.
Qiao'er carefully drew out Records of Demon Sealing and cradled it to her chest as though she'd found a priceless treasure, the sour bitterness in her heart fading a good deal.
Then all at once her gaze sharpened, fixing on something within the bookcase.
She had spotted a hardcover book wedged among the motley assortment—one that, in both style and material, was utterly unlike any book she had ever seen, thoroughly out of place among the antique paper volumes.
Curious, Qiao'er pulled it out to look. Across the cover, written in the Nature faction's Common Tongue, ran the large title Aquarium Grand Opening Commemorative Album, along with markings she couldn't understand at all—"Miss Spell Encyclopedia's Debut Photobook," "Devotedly Presented by the Officially Designated Spokesmodel," "Members-Only Limited Collector's Edition," "Not for anyone under…"—but the person in the cover photo, her she recognized.
The spokesmodel had taken to the stage herself, cosplaying as a mermaid, even dutifully dyeing her hair aqua-blue—and wearing no swimsuit at all.
She lay against the transparent glass that held back the deep-blue seawater, her chest pressed openly and unabashedly to it, fish-tail curled upward, glancing back to blow a kiss. Her long hair alone could not begin to hide the snow-tender, flawless curve of her shoulders and back, the two shoulder blades delicate and light as butterfly wings—enough to make even the exquisitely rendered ocean backdrop pale by comparison.
Qiao'er held her breath and opened the album.
Since only female VIPs who had topped up a full 38,888 could claim this album, the spokesmodel and Madam Kalida had naturally spared no sincerity for these beautiful, wealthy core members—every single page of it demanded that one have drinking water prepared beforehand just to look.
Snap.
Qiao'er shut the book, her heart pounding.
She had meant to put the album back where it belonged and take out the Records of Demon Sealing she'd longed for—but the spokesmodel in that album was simply too good at this.
With a guilty conscience, Qiao'er glanced once around the empty room, drew the curtains, and locked the door tight—and only then, with mixed feelings, curled up on her side on the bed, the album held to her chest.
…
"Oh my."
Wang Yutong, her head full of wandering fancies, had barely stepped into the room when the scene before her stopped her short.
A water bed stood in the center of the room, and Eva and Sasha sat at its edge in cool, skimpy swimsuits and white stockings sheer as cicada wings, essential oils cupped in their hands—clearly they had been waiting a long while.
"A full day of travel—you must be exhausted."
Li Fei gently nudged the still-dazed Wang Yutong toward the bed, murmuring in a voice as seductively ruinous as some elder god's: "Let them give you a massage—just relax and enjoy…"
"?"
Before Wang Yutong could react, Eva had gently pressed down on her shoulders, and the back of her head came to rest upon a pair of firm, tender thighs.
"Relax, relax…"
Eva kneaded Wang Yutong's temples lightly with soft fingertips, bending down to whisper, her breath as fragrant as orchids.
Only now did Miss Wang notice that this long-haired, russet-red sprite's brows and eyes bore a certain resemblance to Li Fei's—her features pure yet exquisite, a coy allure flowing in her moist eyes, and even a thread of something maternal.
"If it's uncomfortable, you can stop anytime…"
Along with the murmur that sent a numbing tingle through her skull, waves of sweet, fragrant breath brushed over Wang Yutong's face.
She found herself gazing at Eva's tender, love-laden eyes and the seductive line of her lips, her tense body slowly going soft.
At last she glanced at Li Fei, and after the latter cast her an encouraging, gentle look, the weak-willed Miss Wang emptied her mind, her gaze growing ever more hazy.
Li Fei, meanwhile, reclined on the sofa, her long legs crossed, watching the scene of the two-person oil SPA massage in silence.
She had not forgotten her situation—there was no way she'd do anything to scatter her focus in a dangerous place ringed by demons.
Besides, even those refined guests, polished within and without, still had to pay for the Miss Top Courtesan's company over drinks; for a useless young miss who had nothing but a pretty shell and a foul temper, footing the cost of a [Witch Sickness Containment Ritual] out of her own pocket felt, to the Miss Top Courtesan, a bit of a losing deal.
—Still, playing audience for once, and moonlighting as camerawoman besides, wasn't that rather fun too?
Li Fei lit a cigarette and waited patiently for Wang Yutong to gradually surrender under Eva's soft, tender words.
Though a few spells could have sped things along, Li Fei chose not to use them—just as certain deeply wicked men will refuse to sell out their country, or certain bandits who've slaughtered countless people will spare a child. Li Fei's Morality Value might be low, but that was only her overall level; upon that baseline there were still her strong suits and her weak ones.
And when it came to [Coercion], she happened to hold one of her few moral high grounds—that included warping another's will with mind-control spells. Compared to such crude and joyless methods, she would far rather use beauty and the Art of Tea to make her targets fall, step by step.
Before long, Wang Yutong, limp as mud, had lost herself entirely and sunk into that tender paradise, her very soul flown off beyond the ninth heaven.
Clearly Eva, now a mother herself, had improved a great deal without anyone noticing; her mastery in developing and wielding her charm was even more refined than back when she'd dragged Li Fei's Morality Value down to -20—and much of the credit went to the young vampire sheriff, for such an excellent sparring partner would be hard to find even with a lantern in hand.
Li Fei nodded again and again, a look of motherly gratification in her eyes.
—My Art of Tea shall have an heir after all.
—Though it's a real shame that the Sofia child won't take up the Dream-Shattering Blade.
It had to be said, Miss Wang's willpower crumbled at a single touch before the naturally seductive Eva; and to boot, so as not to disappoint her honored mother, Eva had put forth every ounce of her skill and then some.
Wang Yutong quickly forgot herself, cast aside all shame, and stopped hiding anything—amid breathless recitations of classical verse, she even fixed a bold, burning gaze upon Li Fei, her hazy eyes sweeping across those lovely lips and then trailing down her neck to the slender, jade-carved fingertips, plainly casting herself into some daydream.
Li Fei didn't mind—her own photo albums were in nearly every household in Loxibrook anyway.
She drew out her phone, opened the camera, and stepped forward to meet Wang Yutong's expectant gaze, which coiled and wound like the spiral of a mosquito coil, asking politely:
"Filming—may I?"
Day broke, and Li Fei sat alone at the dining table, unhurriedly enjoying her breakfast.
Creeak—
Qiao'er pushed the door open and came out. The gentle, pretty little thing wore a white nightdress, her hair somewhat disheveled, two faint smudges of dark beneath her eyes—like a fragile little white flower swaying in the wind, delicately moving.
"Good morning."
The greeting, brimming with energy, drew Qiao'er's eyes.
Her gaze swept over Li Fei's neatly and completely donned attire, and finding that even the close-fitting folds of her dress were exactly the same as the night before, she felt an inexplicable wave of relief.
—Seems I was overthinking it…
The silt in Qiao'er's heart abruptly receded a layer, her jealousy toward Wang Yutong fading along with it, while that deep-rooted affection quietly sprouted anew.
"Come, eat."
Li Fei waved warmly, popped open a can of cola for her with a crisp snap, and pushed a bag of biscuits toward Qiao'er.
With the maids' meticulous attentions gone, the young mistress had neither the leisure nor the mood to cook, and simply made do with instant food.
A look of helplessness crossed Qiao'er's face.
The drink poured from that red can, once ice was added, was indeed refreshingly cold and delicious, and the sensation of bubbles bursting in her mouth and throat was genuinely satisfying—but to drink this first thing in the morning was really…
"Thank you. From now on, let me prepare breakfast."
Qiao'er sat down beside the demoness and volunteered to share the work.
"From now on, you need only do what you enjoy."
Li Fei gave her answer with a warm, kindly expression, then, as if only now noticing the dark circles under her eyes, asked with concern, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Qiao'er shook her head and answered honestly, "I've rarely slept as sweetly as I did last night."
"Eva and the others just went to sleep. Once they're up, you can use the Moon Pillow to catch up on your rest."
The demoness went on winning her over, then suddenly put on a look of embarrassment, as if struggling to get the words out:
"Oh, right, that thing…"
Qiao'er watched her quietly, waiting for the rest.
"I think I left an album behind in your room…"
Li Fei looked rather bashful, fidgeting as she asked, "Did you happen to see it?"
"Mm."
Qiao'er's eyelids fluttered, but she quickly regained her composure and countered, "But didn't you leave it there on purpose?"
There was a barely detectable note of gladness in her voice.
It seemed nothing had happened between the young miss and this demoness—and the demoness had even deliberately left that secret little thing for her…
"Now that you mention it, so it would seem."
Her little trick seen through, the demoness only smiled wider, bringing her lips close to Qiao'er's ear, her voice suggestive: "So then… did sister Qiao'er like it? I could show you much more…"
However delicate the mind of this girl of sixteen might be, in the end she couldn't withstand the Miss Top Courtesan's straight-ball assault; her fair little ears flushed pink in an instant, and she dared not look again at the demoness's lovely, bewitching face.
—Soon, soon now…
Li Fei propped her cheek on one hand, her pitch-black eyes brimming with delight.
____
________________________________________
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉