Chapter 3 The palace maid… had a pair of furry…

What was that?

Yun Huan’s fur bristled as she leaped away abruptly, instinctively spewing a fierce fireball from her mouth. The room blazed with the scorching light of the fireball.

After a flash, the fireball surged menacingly toward the dark figure behind her. Without hesitation or looking back, Yun Huan turned and fled.

She collided headfirst with a translucent barrier, her momentum broken as she bounced back and was caught by a withered, bony hand.

Her true form was still too small compared to this hand, which was alarmingly large and clearly not human—its joints twisted and deformed, nails sharp and menacing, covered with a thin layer of fur, resembling the claws of some beast.

Yun Huan sniffed the air and understood: this was a raccoon demon at least five hundred years old, likely wearing a magical artifact to conceal its aura. Only at this close range could she detect traces of it.

She had been too careless earlier, driven by hunger. She should have returned directly.

The owner of the hand seemed intrigued, turning her over repeatedly. Yun Huan offered no resistance, keeping her eyes shut and limbs limp, playing dead.

Master, could you be mistaken? another voice asked. Seeing that fireball earlier, I thought it had considerable cultivation. But now, face to face, its Demon Power is pitifully weak—it fainted at the slightest touch. Judging by the size of its true form, it doesn’t seem like an ancient demon. Its Demon Qi isn’t strong either; probably no more than a dozen years old, just somewhat talented. Has it even gained sentience yet?

Yun Huan remained motionless, her tail drooping limply, convincingly feigning unconsciousness while peering cautiously through slitted eyes.

You’ve misjudged this time, boy, the hoarse voice chuckled slowly. The restrictions on the door and windows—I wouldn’t dare touch them myself. Yet this little kitten managed to push through. There must be something special about it.

The disciple paused, glancing uncertainly at Yun Huan. To him, she appeared to be nothing but an ordinary stray cat, her Demon Power so faint he had to strain his eyes to detect the slightest trace. Are you… sure it wasn’t just poorly set up from the start?

I’ll teach you later, the master said. Hurry up and carry these fifty pounds of ginseng. This is the last time—we’re not coming back.

Ah, the disciple said blankly. Didn’t Eunuch Liu say there’d be thirty pounds of snow frog next month, split evenly as usual? That’s more valuable.

Is money more important than your life? the master scolded. Quickly—the experts they’ve hired are truly skilled. Just the scent makes me uneasy. Best not to confront them directly.

The disciple, nearly two hundred years old with a muddled bloodline hinting at bear and porcupine ancestry, diligently secured the goods among the spines on his back and said earnestly, Let’s go, Master.

The raccoon demon master remained silent, merely raising a hand. His coarse voice lowered, grating like grinding stones, unnervingly harsh. Let’s go. Be careful.

The raccoon and bear indeed proceeded with caution, approaching the half-open window while carefully avoiding the restriction talismans on the wall.

The raccoon was extremely cautious. Although the formation in this area had already been destroyed by Yun Huan, it still refused to touch the window directly. Instead, it gripped Yun Huan’s paw and pushed it against the window to test whether anyone was outside.

That withered hand tightly gripped the cat’s major acupoints, squeezing Yun Huan until it ached. However, perhaps because this cat demon’s cultivation was truly insignificant and she was already unconscious, the raccoon actually forgot to place restrictions on her meridians.

Now was the moment!

Yun Huan suddenly opened her eyes and spat out another fireball. Both the bear and raccoon instinctively protected their heads and faces, but unexpectedly, the fire wasn’t aimed at them!

The fireball curved around, burning the magical artifacts on the other three walls. Unlike her casual window-pushing earlier, this time she deliberately released destructive demon qi. The newly arranged restriction here was extremely sensitive to demon qi and immediately sounded an alarm.

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding—

The massive bronze bell hanging from the central beam shook violently, its deafening sound echoing. Torches ignited nearby, revealing moving heads in the night—the Imperial Guards had arrived.

The bell’s chime seemed to contain some invisible power. The master-disciple pair shuddered, cracks appearing in the capes draped over them. These capes were originally used to conceal demon qi. Once damaged, the Bagua mirror hanging by the window trembled slightly, reflecting majestic golden rays that revealed the two demons’ true forms. The ever-present dragon aura in the palace immediately surged forth almost tangibly, threatening to tear them to pieces.

As the torchlight and human voices drew closer, Yun Huan had no intention of staying. With a swift movement, she slipped through the narrow window crack and scaled the roof in two leaps.

Follow her! the raccoon spat blood, struggling to speak. She’s familiar with the palace—she must know how to escape!

Demons shouldn’t have come to the palace in the first place. Falling into the Imperial Guards’ hands would mean certain destruction.

Yun Huan knew someone was chasing her, but facing the Imperial Guards and Taoist priests, the three demons shared a common interest—escape was paramount.

Demons were naturally faster than humans. After a few swift leaps, they actually distanced themselves from their pursuers, arriving at a desolate, abandoned palace. After years of warfare, rebel armies had stormed the imperial palace no less than three times, leaving many peripheral areas unrepaired—some even rumored to be haunted.

Tall pillars lay collapsed on the ground, bearing traces of fire. Debris littered the surroundings, covered in thick dust, clearly untouched for a long time.

I underestimated you, the raccoon demon said. A teenage half-demon hybrid, yet so familiar with the palace? Who is your master?

Hybrid? The bear demon was startled, then bared its teeth. No wonder you could move through the palace’s dragon aura as if it were nothing—your human aura overshadows your demon qi. Though you lack a demon core, humans have tender flesh. A hybrid should still be palatable enough. After eating another hundred half-demons, I’ll be able to pass the Yin-Yang Cosmos Mirror at the Vermilion Bird Gate undetected, without needing this wretched cape.

Yun Huan, still in her feline form, tilted her head and gazed at him leisurely. I just led you to safety, and this is how you repay me?Half-demons are inherently lowly, lives as worthless as weeds—they live at most a few decades. I’m giving you a quick death! You should thank me, grandfather! The bear demon wasted no more words. It opened its massive jaws, leaped mid-air, and transformed into its burly true form. A foul stench accompanied the fierce wind that swept through. Yun Huan’s true form was merely a small cat, forced back several steps by the gust.

The raccoon demon, who had been standing aside, suddenly let out a sharp, piercing cry and closed in aggressively. Two against one, they sought to corner Yun Huan.

Do you know where this place is? Yun Huan nimbly rolled across the ground and suddenly asked.

Before the two demons could react, her front paw stepped on an inconspicuous piece of broken tile on the ground. The earth rumbled dully, then cracked open. The bear and raccoon demons, caught off guard, were both sucked into the fissure.

The pitch-black underground lit up, and two Demon Binding Cords flew out. Both demons were forcibly reverted to their original forms, tightly bound by the cords.

This was the Palace Justice Department of the previous dynasty. They say the yin energy here is too heavy, with strange sounds often heard at night, so it was gradually abandoned, Yun Huan explained to them. Because the previous dynasty’s Palace Justice Department didn’t just handle criminal palace staff—it also dealt with… demons.

Though long deserted, the various Demon Subduing Formations buried underground clearly hadn’t lost their power. Layer upon layer of gold and blue talismans surged from the ground like flowing water, landing on the two demons and leaving them less and less room to struggle.

The bear demon struggled and shouted, We’re both demons, yet you side with humans! Truly, half-demons are despicable!

Your Demon Qi is weak not just because you’re a half-demon, but because you don’t eat humans, the raccoon demon observed her for a moment before saying. Since you’re a half-demon, your parents likely weren’t accepted by this world. It’s normal you wouldn’t understand these things. I’m over five hundred years your senior, so let me kindly teach you: we demons are different from humans. Higher-level demons devour lower-level ones; lower-level demons eat humans. That’s just how the rules work. Someone like you, mingling in the palace—you’ll probably live only about thirty more years before your life ends. Little demon, release me, and I’ll teach you how to live forever.

Like an old fox growing cunning with age, this raccoon demon, having lived over five centuries, knew how to shift tactics when the situation turned against him. He adopted the gentle, caring demeanor of an elder, persuading with patience.

No need for you to worry about that, Yun Huan replied.

If you were a proper-born demon, you could wait a few hundred years, condense a Demon Core, and follow the orthodox path. But you’re a half-demon—born without a Demon Core, the raccoon demon narrowed his eyes. Little demon, don’t tell me you want to become human?

Yun Huan remained silent, but her body trembled slightly.

If… if this old demon truly had a method to turn a half-demon human…

Before she could finish the thought, the raccoon demon burst into laughter: If that’s really what you’re thinking, I advise you to abandon that notion now!

He stated with certainty, Demons cannot become human. Right now, you’re young, your cultivation is weak, and your Demon Qi isn’t strong. You can still mask it with your human scent and move freely in the imperial palace. But in a few more years, your human body won’t be able to contain your Demon Power. As it gradually dissipates, you’ll feel weaker and hungrier, unable to maintain human form. When you revert to your demon prototype, you won’t be able to control your human thoughts. This will continue day after day, until your Demon Power tears your human body apart.

If I’m not mistaken, you’re already struggling to maintain human form, aren’t you? Listen to me—

You man-eating demon spouting nonsense—do you think you can scare me? Yun Huan sneered, baring her teeth, her body crouching low, tail lashing twice. It was the posture of preparing to attack in extreme fury.

But before she could act, several talismans from underground tore the two demons into pieces, then reduced them to dust. The ground slowly closed back up, a few tiles rolling to rest at Yun Huan’s feet as if nothing had ever happened.

The cold crows cawed a few times from the trees, their cries distant. It was the last day of the lunar month, with no moon in sight, and a few cold stars made the night seem especially desolate.

Yun Huan stood still for a moment before turning back.

Those two demons were truly detestable. She had just managed to eat her fill at the Imperial Kitchen, her belly round and satisfied, but after the fight, she had used up nearly all her Demon Power. The Imperial Guards were probably still patrolling the area extensively, making it inconvenient to return the same way for another meal. Walking along the top of the wall, Yun Huan pondered where she could find more food to replenish her Demon Power when her nose twitched.

She caught the scent of fish!

Looking down from the wall, Yun Huan’s eyes lit up. Ah, it was the same squad of Imperial Guards she had seen patrolling earlier, now having their meal. The food looked quite good.

She had arrived late; most of them had already finished eating and were standing guard, except for a captain named Li, who was holding a food box, untouched, and speaking with his deputy.

Yun Huan wasn’t great at recognizing human faces, but this captain was surprisingly handsome—sharp eyebrows and bright eyes beneath his helmet, his armor hinting at broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Such a good-looking guard was rare, and Yun Huan took a moment to admire him.

She jumped down from the wall, rubbed against his trouser leg, and let out a soft, coaxing meow.

Chu Tingyan glanced down at her. Yun Huan looked up at him, widening her eyes and striking her cutest pose.

—Human, you must be enchanted by this kitty too, right?

He Zaizhi laughed first. Serves you right for not eating earlier. Now you’ve caught a cat’s attention.

Chu Tingyan raised one corner of his mouth and gave Yun Huan another look. Seems like the same one from before. Like us, she’s traveled quite a distance tonight.

He opened the lid of the food box and glanced at Yun Huan. Want some?

This human was quite perceptive. Yun Huan meowed twice more to express agreement. Chu Tingyan then picked out a fish from the box, placed it on a stone, and gestured to her. Eat.

Yun Huan buried her face in the fish. He Zaizhi stood nearby for a while before saying, …I have failed in my duties. I await punishment.

Let’s not talk about that. I’m the one in charge; if anyone should be punished, it’s me, Chu Tingyan waved his hand dismissively. Now that we’ve confirmed it’s a demon, things are simpler. At daybreak, deliver a letter for me and tell them to make haste…

Their voices were soft, and Yun Huan, focused entirely on the fish, only caught the first part. She made a mental note to avoid the Imperial Kitchen for the next few days. By the end of the month, when the commotion had died down, she could resume her meals—just more discreetly this time. It should be fine.

Once she finished eating, she circled Chu Tingyan’s trouser leg out of courtesy, then leaped back onto the wall without a second glance and disappeared.

The next morning, Yun Huan woke feeling much recovered. Out of habit, she reached under her pillow, then froze completely.

Where was her Jade Tablet? Had she brought it back yesterday? Or had she dropped it where she fought those two demons?

Yun Huan felt as if the sky were falling. Frantically, she rummaged under her pillow, turning it over, but it wasn’t there.

What are you looking for? Even on the second day of your cycle, you shouldn’t be careless. If you keep this up, you’ll end up with such aching cramps you won’t be able to get up. Yuzhi, her roommate who had just returned from night duty, opened the door and saw Yun Huan tossing the bed around, offering a kind reminder.

My Jade Tablet… my White Jade Token is missing. Yun Huan was on the verge of tears.

What’s wrong?

What is it?

Is it something important?

Don’t panic, don’t panic.

The palace maids all lived together, and news traveled fast. Soon, maids from neighboring rooms gathered to help her search, and someone even summoned Mo Gugu.

Such a small matter shouldn’t trouble Mo Gugu, Yun Huan said, her face still pale. It’s an Amulet I’ve carried since childhood—the last keepsake from my family. I must have dropped it on the way to the flower house yesterday. I’ll ask the cleaning staff if they’ve seen it.

I’ll give you a Waist Token. Take two people with you to search, Mo Gugu guessed the Jade Tablet was important to her and reassured, Don’t worry.

Yun Huan quickly replied, Thank you for the Empress’s grace, and thank you, Mo Gugu, for your kindness.

The other maids chimed in, Mo Gugu is truly benevolent.

The Empress had always been kind-hearted, and Mo Gugu, with her skillful management, ran the vast Danfeng Palace as tightly as a sealed barrel. Yet, she was not one to make things difficult for others; on the contrary, she treated the maids under her with considerable leniency. Those who could locate their families were even granted early release from palace service.

Yun Huan, usually cautious, rarely sought such special permissions. But now, frantic and unable to care about anything else, she hurriedly bowed. Thank you, Gugu.

Take a few clever junior maids to help you search, Mo Gugu turned and dismissed the others, Alright, everyone disperse.

In the Imperial Garden, a palace maid approached, followed by two third-rank maids and two young Eunuchs. The guards inspected the Waist Token and allowed them entry.

He Zaizhi glanced over and continued speaking with Chu Tingyan, but Chu Tingyan narrowed his eyes.

That palace maid… had a pair of furry ears on her head.

Author’s Note:

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