Li Yin didn’t speak. She only stared at the peacock spirit in her arms.
Every strand of hair on his body, from his eyelashes to the tips, shimmered with a gorgeous azure-blue glow.
Earlier, he had suffered under the persecution of a demonic cultivator. His feathers had been roughly abused and torn out. Now that he had transformed into human form, the young man’s long hair naturally draped messily over his shoulders. His collar had also been torn open, exposing one pale, smooth shoulder and collarbone.
A strand of deep-colored hair fell along his neck. The darker the color, the whiter his skin appeared.
Seeing that she wasn’t responding, the Little Peacock grew dissatisfied. He nibbled at her chin. But he forgot that he was now in human form—it was no different from kissing a human girl.
The young man’s soft lips were naturally far less hard than a bird’s beak. They bumped harmlessly against her chin, parting immediately without any pain at all.
He didn’t notice anything improper about his action. He glared at her and asked again, “You’ll take responsibility for me, right?”
Her face was still covered by the disguise art, transformed into ordinary features. Only her eyes remained the same—clear and bright as always.
Qing Yi always remembered her original appearance when she arrived, her face reflected in the snow, her aloof and chilly aura as she stepped through it.
Afterward, it all melted into tangible warmth. Her embrace held no ice or snow. It brushed away the cold and death from his feathers, bringing a sudden return of spring.
At this moment, he suddenly realized something belatedly. His gaze froze on her chin, staring motionlessly.
The Little Peacock stared at the spot he had just “kissed,” stunned.
He had clearly done something wrong again. Qing Yi’s lips pressed together repeatedly. He quietly swallowed several times. His fair skin began to steam with a deepening blush.
Li Yin didn’t notice his impropriety or his thoughts. She gazed at his gorgeous face and said bluntly, “You’re really pretty.”
The player had no resistance to pretty characters. Her little scheme stirred.
Of course, it was perfectly normal for a player conquering a strategy game to develop feelings while conquering the game itself.
As soon as she said it, she saw the pretty young lord’s eyelashes tremble lightly. A faint hint of bashfulness seemed to flicker in his eyes. Before she could look closer, he suddenly reverted to his original form.
Li Yin was holding a little peacock again.
She felt puzzled and was about to ask when Qing Yi transmitted to her first, “I… My injuries are too severe. I can’t control it.”
The little peacock in her arms rested his head on her elbow, blinking guiltily.
His injuries were indeed serious, but not to the point where he couldn’t maintain human form at all. This little peacock just didn’t want her to see him embarrassed.
Li Yin didn’t see through the little peacock spirit’s thoughts. She only felt her arms tiring from the sudden shifts in weight.
She continued fleeing while holding him. At the border between the Cultivation World and the Demon Realm, a curtain of aurora-like light hung in the sky, visible from afar. She wouldn’t get the direction wrong.
She used another Divine Movement Talisman to boost her speed. A flock of circling birds dove down to harass her.
Li Yin dodged an angry little bird. “Don’t all come at me!”
Her voice had also been altered by a spell to disguise it, coming out sharp and sounding utterly distraught.
While dodging, she glanced up and saw a rainbow arc across the sky. The clouds at the horizon burned like fire, instantly igniting a vast expanse of blazing fire clouds.
The clouds spread enormous wings in the shape of a phoenix, faintly diving toward the ground as well.
A strange phenomenon in the sky could only mean a great power was making a move. Though they couldn’t rush from the heart of Feather Clan territory to the border in a short time, they could cast divine abilities from millions of miles away.
The fire phoenix blotted out the sky, apparently intent on burning her to death.
Li Yin hurriedly shouted, “Your young lord’s injuries weren’t my doing! I only contracted him out of necessity. There’s a demonic cultivator chasing us from behind—that’s the real culprit. Go deal with him!”
She pointed the Feather Clan in the right direction and tried her best to persuade them. “Even setting aside the contract, I’m at least his savior…”
She didn’t know if the elders behind the scenes believed her. The flock’s assault didn’t let up.
In the end, the player decided on a simpler approach.
Li Yin pretended to threaten them. She gripped the Little Peacock’s slender neck with one hand and shouted loudly, “Your young lord is in my hands! If you don’t want to collect our corpses, go block that demonic cultivator behind us!”
Her voice transmitted clearly. The surveillance vision froze on the human girl’s face. Though her features were plain, her eyes were sharp—not the look of a cowardly coward.
As for their Feather Clan’s young lord, he had completely changed his temperament. He had become an obedient slave pet, snuggling in her arms.
The Feather Clan elders looked toward the head seat.
In the pristine white nest, the man had already lowered his head again. He sat with his knees drawn up, no longer watching the scene in the vision.
He was stroking the egg in his arms, his fingertips trailing gently. He didn’t know what he was thinking. When he heard the human girl’s threatening shout, he seemed to let out a cold laugh.
“Let him go,” he said without lifting his head, his voice icy.
How far could a private elopement get? Especially eloping with a human. Even if they reached the point of union, the unacceptable half-demon bloodline would be even more reviled by the world.
Once he faced reality, he would return sooner or later.
The elders didn’t dare oppose him. They respectfully withdrew the surveillance vision and retreated one by one.
The heavy doors closed layer by layer. Silence returned all around. In the nest, the man’s figure was gone. Only a curled-up white peacock remained, its pale red eyes like two pools of blood nestled amid the pure white feathers.
His tail feathers were tucked at his side, their colors equally gorgeous—not inferior to the younger one’s. Amid the white glow, they held shifting shades of rosy pink and purple, pristine yet bewitching with demonic allure.
The White Peacock shifted slightly. He used his beak to gently nudge the egg in front of him, carefully tucking it beneath his soft, warm chest feathers. Finally, his slender neck drooped. He lay in the nest and closed his eyes.
–
While issuing her threat, Li Yin’s fingers were warm as they encircled the little peacock’s soft neck feathers. With his vital point seized, the sense of restraint was inevitable.
The Little Peacock felt uncomfortable and lightly pecked the back of her hand.
Li Yin released her grip and also let out a breath of relief.
The fire phoenix turned direction. It no longer charged at her but flew toward the rear instead. The flock followed suit, leaving only a few surveillance birds watching her.
With the crisis resolved, she smoothed the Little Peacock’s feathers and finally had time to check her gains.
【Unlocked New Cauldron: Li Chengfeng】
Li Yin noted the name of her enemy. Her gaze shifted downward.
【Cultivation Progress: 99%】
【Current Cultivation: Foundation Establishment. Next Stage: Golden Core Realm】
She was just a little short of breaking through.
Based on her experience as a veteran player of this game, Li Yin was certain that this final bit of progress required supplementing from another person.
Her hand paused mid-stroke on the peacock’s feathers. She looked down at the guy in her arms—a ready-made supplementation target.
She could supplement from him, but she didn’t dare to.
She was afraid of supplementing this heavily injured little peacock to death.
The player sighed inwardly and temporarily spared him.
Though a great demon cultivator power had intervened to intercept the demonic cultivator, it wasn’t the great power arriving in person. She still worried that the demonic cultivator would catch up. She planned to keep running until she reached Myriad Beasts Sect territory to be safe.
It would be even better if she could break through along the way.
She pressed on until the border between the two realms. From afar, Li Yin spotted a figure. He wore black robes and stood tall and straight, with no demonic aura—likely someone from the Cultivation World.
Her eyes lit up immediately. She shouted a classic line, “Fellow Daoist, please hold!”
Let me supplement from you!
She kept the last part to herself. Hearing her, the youth not far away abruptly stopped. He turned back, his expression full of confusion.
The girl hugging an azure-green peacock leaped toward him. She wore ink-green robes, their hem fluttering gracefully. The shades of deep and light green-blue made her look like some mountain wild spirit that had dashed out from the woods, flying straight to him.
The black-robed youth instinctively reached out to catch her.
The mountain wild spirit holding the peacock couldn’t stop her momentum. She crashed heavily onto him.
He saw the girl’s eyes bright and keen. Now that she had accidentally knocked him down, the excited expression on her face froze. She hurriedly scrambled up from him but extended one hand to grab his wrist, refusing to let go.
Her eyes were still crystal clear, impossible to tell if they were moist from tears or excitement. She pleaded for help. “Fellow Daoist, a demonic cultivator is chasing me.”
Li Yin had seized her target’s wrist, successfully achieving physical contact.
In that deliberate fall just now, she had felt the youth’s lean, powerful build. His cultivation was also higher than hers.
He was tall, with handsome, refined features and an innate sense of righteousness—unlike the stunning, alluring beauty typical of demons or demonic cultivators.
But his reaction seemed a bit slow. He looked at her with utter bewilderment and blankness. Only after a moment, pulled by her, did he climb up from the ground.
“Demonic cultivator?” the youth asked.
Yes, demonic cultivator—like me.
Li Yin quipped to herself. She gripped his wrist. With her cheat props plentiful, she was about to secretly form a Jade Ecstasy Seal.
Before she could act, the game panel suddenly appeared.
【Skill Unlocked: Hidden Sword Nine Styles】
【Achievement Reward: Directed Random (1)】
【In response to popular demand from players, the latest version introduces an easy skill unlock feature. By exploring the game and contacting related characters or items, players have a chance to unlock skills already learned in other save files…】
Now it was Li Yin’s turn to react slowly.
In an instant, she recalled a flood of information. The sword art she had once skimmed in the game now filled her mind clearly, as if she could wield it with a wave of her hand.
The player was stunned.
The player came back to her senses.
Why didn’t they mention a benefit like this sooner!
She paused her supplementation attempt. Her mind first flashed through skills from other save files. Among them, the Hidden Sword Nine Styles was an inner sect sword art of Hidden Sword Mountain.
“Are you a disciple of Hidden Sword Mountain?” Li Yin asked.
Only now did she notice that the youth indeed wore a long sword at his waist. Its blade was simple, without even a sword tassel or decorations.
Under her gaze, the long sword trembled repeatedly, emitting faint buzzing sounds.
The youth looked puzzled. He nodded at her. “Indeed.”
As he reached to press the hilt, the sword’s humming finally stopped.
His lifebound sword held a bit of spiritual intelligence. It was repeatedly conveying joy and closeness to him—but not to its master. It was close to the girl he had just met.
It was truly strange. Even stranger, the youth didn’t seem too concerned.
His brows and eyes were light and indifferent, like fleeting sunlight and shadows, unmoving and detached.
After soothing the restless lifebound sword, he looked up at the girl again. “Fellow Daoist, do you know the way to Hidden Sword Mountain?”
Now it was Li Yin’s turn to be confused.
She hadn’t paid attention to the sword’s trembling and quieting. She just wondered, “Aren’t you a disciple of Hidden Sword Mountain?”
The youth pressed his lips together. “To be honest, I’m lost.”
His eyes were too pure—not like he was lying.
Lost enough to end up here?
Li Yin was shocked. Then she gritted her teeth, torn over whether to supplement from this innocent-looking, simple-faced passerby.
Seeing her fall silent for a moment, the youth’s clear eyes filled with doubt. “Hm? Fellow Daoist, what’s wrong?”
She hadn’t yet decided on the supplementation question. Between them sat a little peacock—or rather, the little peacock wedged himself in, squeezing between the two.
The Little Peacock shifted. The Little Peacock shifted again.
The youth pressed his lips together once more. “Fellow Daoist…”
Li Yin snapped back. “Hm?”
The youth looked innocent. “Could you make your peacock stop pecking me?”
Li Yin looked down. She was still holding the youth’s wrist.
Several red spots had appeared on the back of his fair hand—clearly pecked hard by the bird’s beak. The culprit bird seemed to strongly object to this indirect hand-holding.
Li Yin turned to the little peacock spirit in her arms.
The Little Peacock’s eyes flickered guiltily. He avoided her gaze. Then, quite indignantly, he glared at her—as if lodging a complaint—but he didn’t transmit to her.
She apologized profusely to the youth, released his hand, and casually pinched the Little Peacock’s beak. He struggled free and pecked her in dissatisfaction.
In that brief delay, Li Yin suddenly heard the sound of wind slicing through the air behind her. It reached her ears in an instant.
A wind blade grazed past, slicing off a few strands of her hair. It then slammed into the ground with a boom, sending rocks flying and carving a deep gully.
Li Yin cursed inwardly. She turned back and, sure enough, saw the Demon Lord had caught up.
He stood in midair, expressionless, coldly overlooking her. The hand marked with the supplementation mark was held behind his back.
Strangely, with this Demon Lord’s cultivation, that strike should have hit dead-on—perhaps even bisecting the girl who had offended and humiliated him. Yet it missed, only warningly shearing off a few hairs.
In such a moment, Li Yin didn’t think that deeply.
Seeing his utterly frigid demeanor, she suspected the fire phoenix hadn’t injured him at all. Instead, it had thoroughly enraged him.
The Player warily watched his movements, swiftly summoning the game panel with a mere thought as she prepared to use her cheat props to stay safe.
However, the Demon Lord high above had his pupils flicker slightly, his icy gaze landing on the young man beside her.
Li Yin heard the demon lord part his lips in a cold chuckle before asking her:
“What’s this? Did This Lord fail to satisfy you, so you’ve gone and found another man?”