River water splashed onto the face of a breathtaking young woman—so beautiful she seemed like a snow lotus on a celestial mountain, her aura pure and ethereal. Her eyes held the graceful ripples of autumn waters, clear to the bottom, without a trace of impurity. Her nose was straight, the tip smooth and shining, almost as if her face reflected warm sunlight. Her lips were slightly parted like peach petals, revealing a faint gap through which a pink tongue could just be glimpsed.
She was so exquisitely beautiful that one would hesitate to approach, fearing that even a breath too close might taint her with the mundane dust of the world.
Nam Tam blinked at the girl on the water's surface, and the being within also blinked back.
"Enough, enough. Stop lamenting your fate. Focus on completing your mission," Lord Eight said, and then abruptly fell silent mid-sentence.
"Little Eight? Little Eight?" Nam Tam called several times, but there was no reply.
Feeling something strange, Nam Tam whispered softly and looked around, but still could not notice anything unusual.
Seeing that blood still clung to her hair and face, Nam Tam crouched down, dipped her hair into the water, tilted her head, and combed it with her fingers while pondering her current situation. If her goal was to reach the Demon King, she would need to become someone close to him. This upcoming marriage was a rare opportunity. Fortunately, she had only been gone for a single day, so it was still possible to return and find an excuse to avoid the union.
After rinsing her long hair clean, Nam Tam bent down and splashed water on her face.
Droplets of water slid down her face, sparkling in the sunlight like tiny pearls.
Suddenly, she sensed movement and turned her head. Not far away stood a great tree, beneath which a long-eared rabbit—a Chang Er Rabbit—was staring at her intently.
Its eyes were blood-red, deep and ominous, and a chilling aura radiated from its body straight to the bone.
Nam Tam didn't notice the oppressive atmosphere around it, completely captivated by the rabbit's fluffy fur.
Chang Er Rabbits were the lowest-ranking spiritual beasts, only eating grass. For Nam Tam, it posed no danger. Moreover, this little rabbit was covered in fluffy fur and looked irresistibly cute. Nam Tam lifted her skirt, stepped forward, crouched down, and gazed at the rabbit eye to eye.
Yet the rabbit did not shy away, simply standing there, waiting for her to approach.
"Hey, little bunny, did you get lost? Come here, sit in my lap, I'll take you home," Nam Tam said with a coaxing smile, reaching out to hug the Chang Er Rabbit.
The rabbit tensed slightly. In a place unseen, its blood-red pupils swept over a murderous intent, wild and fierce.
"Little Eight, Little Eight, can I keep it as a pet? This Chang Er Rabbit is unbearably adorable. But don't worry—you're still my favorite. You'll always be my favorite," Nam Tam asked Lord Eight in her heart.
Lord Eight did not reply.
Nam Tam took it as consent and happily lifted the rabbit high. "Little bunny, from now on, can we live relying on each other?"
The Chang Er Rabbit did not respond, as if it did not understand her. It only widened its blood-red eyes and glanced at her.
Nam Tam did not expect it to understand her words. She simply wanted a pet without a spiritual consciousness, someone to listen to her rambling. Here, she had no close companions. Little Eight ignored her entirely, and what she feared most was becoming bored before completing her mission.
She stroked the little rabbit's paws and could not resist inching closer to rub it a few times.
Ha! So soft, so comforting—she could even use it as a pillow in the future.
The rabbit's long ears drooped slightly, its pupils lowered. Deep within, its eyes struggled to suppress a savage, bloodthirsty impulse.