Nam Tam's sharp gaze lingered on Tan Nhac Hien as he fought fiercely against the Demonic Moon Wolves. His movements were powerful, steady, and strikingly handsome. Those peach blossom eyes that lifted ever so slightly were dangerously charming—no wonder Zui Ly Huyen had been coaxed into eloping with him.
Zui Ly Huyen had only just learned of her forced marriage to the Beast King when, the very next day, she fled with Tan Nhac Hien. Yet with the overwhelming influence of the Zui Ly Clan in the Xuanwu Realm, it was only a matter of time before they were caught.
"Little Eight, what happened to the real Zui Ly Huyen? I've entered her body, so where did she go?" Nam Tam asked.
The Void Beast went silent for a long moment before answering, "In three days, Zui Ly Huyen will meet a tragic end. I promised to transcend her soul, so I brought you back three days before her death to use her body."
Wait.
Destiny itself seemed to laugh as Nam Tam realized something dreadful.
"Little Eight, did you just say that I will die miserably in three days?" Her beautiful eyes widened.
The Void Beast chuckled darkly. "Exactly."
"How… how miserably?"
"Well, nothing too outrageous," the beast said lightly. "You ran away with another man, insulting the Beast King's reverse scale. In his fury, he will devour you—piece by piece—while that man is drained of blood and hung at the city gates for seven days and nights, until nothing remains but a dried corpse."
Nam Tam couldn't hear anything after the words "devour piece by piece." They echoed endlessly in her head.
"Little Eight," she said hopefully, "when you say 'devour,' does it mean the same thing I think it means?"
The Void Beast snorted. "Do I sound like I'm joking? You'll be eaten alive by that bloodthirsty Beast King—bones and all."
Nam Tam shivered. "Not me. That should be Zui Ly Huyen."
"Khà khà, but right now you are Zui Ly Huyen. Three days from now, you'll be his meal. Do your best—I have high hopes for you~"
Too weary to argue further, Nam Tam shut the beast out.
At that moment, Tan Nhac Hien, reeking of blood from battle, strode back after slaughtering the wolves. He dared not get too close, afraid his bloody aura might taint the fairy-like girl before him.
"Don't be afraid, cousin. I've destroyed every last Demonic Moon Wolf," he said, gazing at her with tender, lovesick eyes.
Nam Tam smiled faintly. "Cousin, I think I hear water nearby. Let's go wash up."
He froze, dumbstruck, before blurting, "Cousin, when you smile… you're truly beautiful." His voice was almost swept away by the current of his emotions.
Nam Tam nearly laughed aloud. Was she really so breathtaking that one smile reduced him to such a state?
Red creeping across his ears, Tan Nhac Hien stumbled forward like a lovestruck fool. Nam Tam followed behind, giggling softly at his dazed appearance.
Before long, they found a crystal-clear stream. Tan Nhac Hien offered her the spot nearest the source and moved farther downstream himself, reminding her: "Cousin, if anything happens, call me immediately. I'll be right ahead."
She nodded. As soon as he left, she hurried to the water's edge.
The surface mirrored her reflection perfectly.
Nam Tam inhaled sharply when she saw her own face. "Little Eight," she asked inwardly, "be honest—are you a face-con?"
The Void Beast laughed smugly. "See how well I treat you? I found you a body with beauty enough to topple nations. Even running away from home, you still elope with a handsome man!"
Nam Tam rolled her eyes heavenward. "Yes, yes—nation-toppling beauty indeed. But in three days, I'll be nothing more than a nation-toppling corpse in the sky."
The Void Beast wasn't the least bit guilty. Its chubby little body wiggled as it lifted a paw smugly. "Exactly. Which is why you must turn fate upside down for me."