Xiao Yue, the young heir of the Howling Moon Wolf Clan, had secretly slipped onto the flying boat headed for the Heavenly Demon Palace. He stayed hidden all the way until the vessel was halfway there, when he was finally dragged out.
It turned out he'd used the Illusion Bell Jian Dan once gave him as a toy, creating a fake image of the Spider Girl to disguise himself and slip past everyone's eyes, then stayed hidden onboard.
Ever since he'd learned about the Heavenly Demon Palace's succession ceremony, he'd been itching to go.
Lang Xiao, the clan leader, saw through his intentions right away and told him bluntly, "Mo Yue Zūnzhǔ's whereabouts are uncertain right now. Even if you go to the Heavenly Demon Palace, you won't see her."
Hearing that, Xiao Yue pouted, turned his furry butt to Lang Xiao, and refused to talk to him.
Lang Xiao only felt a headache coming on. This brat was his precious treasure, and at just fourth rank he'd already cultivated incredibly fast for a beast. So aside from cultivation matters, he usually spoiled him in everything else. But this time, no matter how much Xiao Yue rolled around and acted cute, Lang Xiao wouldn't budge. To stop him from sneaking off, he personally dragged the kid into seclusion.
Xiao Yue sulked for two whole days. Once he realized he couldn't win, he stopped talking to his father and quietly focused on cultivation in his cave. At least, that's what he made it look like. In truth, he'd already contacted his good friend Zi Die in secret, found out the departure time of the beast clans, and packed his bundle ahead of time, ready to leave whenever.
Before the trip, he even staged one last act for Lang Xiao, begging again. After being rejected flat out, he put on a pitiful face, sighed, and said he'd go into a death seclusion until he broke through to fifth rank. At that time, he'd be allowed out to train.
Lang Xiao agreed. He promised that once Xiao Yue reached fifth rank, he'd let him go out and gain experience.
Of course, Lang Xiao only meant letting him train within beast territory. If Xiao Yue went to human cultivator lands before sixth rank, sooner or later he'd end up skinned for his pelt and gutted for his core.
Both father and son had left themselves a bit of wiggle room.
On the day of departure, the raccoon beasts' first appearance in public drew a huge crowd of beasts.
Everyone already knew the Raccoon Clan had returned to the beast race's territory, but they'd kept to themselves, developing quietly with their gates shut. For supplies, they traded only through their neighbors, the Howling Moon Wolf Clan.
Lang Xiao had even spread the word that the raccoons returned with the Nine-Tailed Beast Lord's blessing. They'd been granted their own territory, which was basically a warning to others not to mess with them.
That's why their appearance drew so much attention. And when the crowd realized Yue Liang was leading them, a seventh-rank beast who'd already stepped into the ranks of Great Beasts, even those with hidden schemes gave up for now. She was no weaker than the wolf or white crane clans.
Ancestor Xing Chen personally escorted Yue Liang and the two raccoon beasts, not just out of courtesy, but also to intimidate. Their younger generation hadn't risen yet, so what they needed most was a stable environment. Everything else could wait.
It was under this cover that Xiao Yue slipped aboard.
Back in his cave, Zi Die had been disguised with the Illusion Bell, taking Xiao Yue's place in bed. As long as she didn't cultivate or move too much, no one would realize the switch anytime soon.
Xiao Yue then slipped into the chaos, turned into a member of the Jade-Faced Spider Clan, and hid in a corner of the boat with his illusion covering him.
But after the boat had traveled a third of the way, Yue Liang discovered him.
That night, as he absorbed moonlight to cultivate, she caught him. Her dark eyes narrowed, and she simply stretched out her tiny paw and swiped. The illusion shattered instantly, and she pulled the wolf pup out by the scruff.
Her movement startled the others on board. Cang Yu was the first to rush over.
"Isn't this Lang Xiao's little brat? When did he sneak on board?" He poked Xiao Yue's forehead with his finger. Dangling upside down by the tail in Yue Liang's paw, Xiao Yue couldn't resist at all. He could only cover his head with his paws and whimper pitifully.
The Spider Girl sauntered over, swaying her hips, and burst out laughing at the sight.
"Do we even need to ask? Of course he snuck on! My little spider already told me he'd been throwing a tantrum about going to the Heavenly Demon Palace. Lang Xiao refused and locked him up."
Yue Liang sighed helplessly. "Cang Yu, send a message to Clan Leader Lang Xiao, ask him to come pick him up. Or do you want to take him back yourself?"
Cang Yu's feathers ruffled immediately. He transformed one into a brown-gray plume, poured in a message, and flicked it away.
Send the brat back himself? Forget it. He wasn't about to miss his chance at the Heavenly Demon Palace. He'd fought three straight days with his clan just to earn this spot, and he still had the bruises on his neck to prove it.
"Senior Yue Liang, please don't send me back. I want to go to the Heavenly Demon Palace to see my mother!"
With no other choice, Xiao Yue blurted out nonsense. If they sent him back now, his whole escape would be for nothing. Worse, he'd be punished under clan rules. But his words stunned everyone. Yue Liang didn't know the details, but Cang Yu and the Spider Girl did—his mother had been gone for years.
"Don't try to trick us. Your mother's long gone!"
"She's my new mother!" Xiao Yue argued back firmly, refusing to admit he was lying.
"Tch, but Lang Xiao never took another wolf queen, did he?" The Spider Girl tilted her head, suspicious. If the kid was saying he'd find her at the Heavenly Demon Palace, then his so-called mother must be a human cultivator.
She and Cang Yu exchanged glances, and the flames of gossip blazed in both their eyes.
After all, fifty years ago, Lang Xiao had slaughtered another wolf clan just because they'd plotted against Xiao Yue. He'd even abandoned a political marriage to protect his son.
"Maybe he met her while training outside?" Cang Yu wondered aloud.
"That would mean Lang Xiao met her. How would Xiao Yue know?"
Then the Spider Girl suddenly remembered something. "Do you recall, fifty years ago, when four Heavenly Demon Palace cultivators entered beast territory and stayed three days?"
"I heard about it, but I was in seclusion then, trying for fifth rank. How do you remember so clearly?"
"One of those demon cultivators was a woman. She bought something from me and even pre-ordered my spider silk after I broke through to fifth rank."
As it turned out, this Spider Girl was the stall owner Jian Dan, disguised as Mo Yue, had once dealt with. Jian Dan had bought ice silkworm silk from her and upgraded her Thousand Threads of Return. The resources Jian Dan paid helped the Spider Girl step into fifth rank, qualifying her to represent the Jade-Faced Spider Clan here.
It was fate, plain and simple.
"I'm certain I saw two female demon cultivators then," the Spider Girl added. She looked at Xiao Yue and asked, "Which one's your new mother?"
The little wolf perked up immediately, twisting his small body with excitement. "The one like me, the one with the crescent moon!"