Time rewound to a stick of incense before.
Niu Erhua had only just become chieftain of the Manniu Clan a few days ago, yet she was already beloved by her people. The clan basked in peace and harmony—until Nangong Jingtang’s arrival shattered it all.
As soon as Nangong Jingtang appeared, she strode straight into the Manniu Clan’s territory. Naturally, the demonic beasts of the clan would not allow such intrusion and rushed forward to block her path. What they could never have anticipated was the sheer power she wielded—far beyond any bounds.
Alone, she fought her way from the outskirts all the way to the front of the grand hall, as if no one stood in her way. Only when Niu Li and several other Demon King Realm experts stepped forward did she pause—though only momentarily before each of them fell one by one.
Only Niu Li remained on his knees, barely conscious and utterly spent. Such terrifying strength exceeded even his worst imaginings. He struggled to rise but found himself unable to move—each muscle screaming in agony. All he could do was cling to his resolve: if he collapsed here, what would become of the chieftain?
As Niu Li fought to push himself up once more, a small hand settled gently on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw none other than Chieftain Niu Erhua herself.
“Uncle Niu,” she urged softly, “you’ve done more than enough. As chieftain, I cannot stand by and let you all perish here.”
In that instant, the petite Niu Erhua seemed to grow into her role. She stepped forward and looked up at Nangong Jingtang with steely calm.
“I am Niu Erhua, chieftain of the Manniu Clan. Are you seeking me?”
Since her arrival had been marked only by that first demand, no one truly knew who she sought—but in the present chaos, only Niu Erhua had introduced herself. Naturally, Niu Erhua assumed she was the target.
Nangong Jingtang bent her posture slightly; a chill flickered through her icy gaze. “I am not seeking you. But you bear his aura—tell me, where is he?”
Niu Erhua froze, utterly baffled by the question. Before she could respond, a gale swept in. In a blink, she was flung a hundred meters away, landing at Yue Wanqiu’s side.
“Aunty Yue Wanqiu!” Niu Erhua cried. “What happened? Who is that woman?”
Yue Wanqiu’s voice was crystalline and cold. Only yesterday she ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ had gone out gathering rare herbs; she returned today to find the territory torn by battle and the Grand Protector Niu Li grievously wounded. She had rushed to Niu Erhua’s side and pulled her away to safety.
“Aunty Yue Wanqiu,” Niu Erhua panted, “I don’t understand—this woman stormed into our territory and spoke strange words I couldn’t grasp!”
Yue Wanqiu frowned, pondering. Strange words? Could it be she came because of Niu Erhua’s Seven-Colored Divine Ox constitution?
Before Yue Wanqiu could decide, Nangong Jingtang raised her hand and snarled, “You, too, bear his aura. Bring him before me!”
Yue Wanqiu’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean? Who is this ‘he’ you speak of?”
“You’re stalling, aren’t you? If you all refuse to let us meet, then you shall all perish!”
With a roar of demonic energy, Nangong Jingtang transformed into a streak of light and shot forward. Yue Wanqiu’s expression fell—she did not fear for herself but worried for Niu Erhua, who was far too weak to endure such violent clashes of aura.
Yue Wanqiu’s first instinct was to shove Niu Erhua aside and vault into the sky to intercept. But she had still underestimated Nangong Jingtang’s speed. Before Yue Wanqiu could rise, Nangong Jingtang stood before her, radiant five-colored light blazing.
In that life-or-death moment, the ground beneath them erupted with a dazzling array formation. In the next instant, Yue Wanqiu and Nangong Jingtang were thrown hundreds of meters apart. A lone figure landed between them.
Ye Yu exhaled and looked around in confusion. “Wait—why are you two fighting? What’s happened here?”
Before either could answer, Nangong Jingtang darted into Ye Yu’s arms. “I finally found you,” she trembled, voice thick with relief. “Promise me you won’t ever leave me behind again—I was so frightened!”
Ye Yu felt his heart ache and gently patted her back. “Rest assured, I promise I’ll never leave you again, okay?”
From a distance, Yue Wanqiu watched the embrace and felt a sudden pang of discomfort—as though she herself were being left out.
At that moment, Niu Erhua quietly approached and whispered, “Aunty Yue Wanqiu, someone is trying to destroy our little family’s happiness.”
Yue Wanqiu hastily clamped her hand over Niu Erhua’s mouth. “Don’t say that. This woman...she might be Ye Yu’s demon consort. If she heard you, she’d be upset.”
Niu Erhua yanked away Yue Wanqiu’s hand. “Upset? I don’t like her at all! She wounded so many of our people—shouldn’t I be the one angry?”
Her words carried clearly across to Ye Yu.
Ye Yu guided Nangong Jingtang forward and gently asked, “What exactly happened?”
Nangong Jingtang’s stunning face held no fear, only fierce determination, while Yue Wanqiu averted her gaze. Niu Erhua, hands on hips, glared at Nangong Jingtang and said, “Brother Ye Yu, this woman trespassed into the Manniu Clan and wounded many of our people. You claimed she was seeking ‘him’—so you are that ‘he’ she’s after? If you wanted to find him, why not say so? Why resort to violence?”
