"Lillian, you go first."
"Yes, young master!"
Neither of them paid Naichen any mind.
Lillian was just about to leave when Naichen suddenly stepped forward with a hopeful look.
"Miss, don't be afraid of that thief—I," he said, forcing a smile.
Pfft!
In the next instant, before Naichen could finish his sentence, he was sent flying through the air, coughing up blood mid-flight before crashing into a wall and falling unconscious.
He had been struck by a wave of Telekinesis from Fenric.
Ordinarily, a regular person would've died instantly from such a blow.
But Naichen, protected by the mysterious luck of the Son of Destiny, only ended up severely injured—but alive.
Startled, Lillian froze in place.
Fenric spoke calmly, "Lillian, follow the plan. If the old tree demon doesn't cooperate, tell her I'll uproot every locust tree in this forest within two days."
"Yes, young master."
Lillian didn't spare Naichen a single glance. She floated off without hesitation.
A short while later, Chixia returned.
"Hm?"
Noticing Naichen unconscious on the ground, he frowned. "What happened to this kid?"
Fenric replied indifferently, "He didn't know his place. Tried to provoke me, so I taught him a lesson."
Chixia frowned. "Wasn't that a bit much?"
He had a vague feeling there might be some hidden connection between himself and Naichen.
"Well, he's the one who couldn't mind his own business. How was I supposed to know he was so fragile?" Fenric shrugged.
Chixia said nothing more.
In his eyes, Fenric was now the top priority.
With Fenric's power, he could finally see a chance to destroy the Black Mountain Old Demon.
As a man of righteousness, Chixia couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Still, he couldn't simply leave Naichen to die.
He quickly gathered some wooden sticks and fashioned a crude splint, securing Naichen's broken limbs. The poor boy had multiple fractures all over his body.
Once done, Chixia took out a healing pill and placed it into Naichen's mouth.
Fenric didn't bother to help. He simply found a comfortable spot, lay down, and closed his eyes for a nap.
—---
The Thousand-Year Tree Demon resided in a courtyard nestled in the center of a lake.
As night fell, more female ghosts emerged into the yard, their numbers growing.
Yet tonight, none of them dared to raise their voices.
Everyone could sense it—Grandma was in a terrible mood.
Terrible enough that even the wind felt colder.
The cause was obvious.
The commotion during the day had startled every spirit and demon within 50 kilometers.
A human had drawn down heavenly thunder, causing Grandma herself to suffer injuries.
Worse still, the human was absurdly powerful, and Grandma had no courage to retaliate.
Inside a dark room, the ancient tree demon, known to all as Grandma, sat sulking in a large chair.
Beside her, a female ghost in a flowing teal dress tried to console her.
"Grandma, please don't be angry. Even though my sister was taken away, you still have me. I'll serve you faithfully and help you catch many more handsome young men."
Grandma sighed. "Evy, you've always been the more sensible one. From now on, I'll be depending on you."
Though her words were kind, Grandma's thoughts were still with Lillian.
Lillian was not only stunningly beautiful, but also cunning and seductive—no man she targeted had ever escaped her grasp. She was her most valuable subordinate.
More than that, Lillian was a key piece in her alliance with the Black Mountain Demon.
With Lillian gone, how could she face that fearsome creature?
Just then, a female ghost's voice called from outside:
"Grandma, Sister Lillian has returned!"
"Oh?"
Grandma's expression changed instantly. "Quick, send her in!"
Moments later, Lillian burst into the room.
"Grandma!!"
She threw herself into the old demon's arms, weeping bitterly.
Seeing her disheveled and injured appearance, Grandma's face changed.
"Lillian? What happened? Why are you hurt like this?"
Lillian was a masterful actress. She immediately put on a pitiful expression and began sobbing.
"Grandma, he's horrible... he abuses people for fun! He beats me, scolds me, and even said he's going to eat me!"
Evy, standing to the side, couldn't help but smile gleefully at this.
Grandma glared at her but gently patted Lillian.
"Don't be scared, child. With a beauty like yours, what man would truly harm you?"
Lillian shook her head and cried even harder.
"No, Grandma! He's a monster in human skin! I don't want to stay with him anymore. Please, save me!"
"This..." Grandma hesitated and sighed. "Child, even I cannot deal with someone like him."
"Please, Grandma," Lillian begged. "He said that once he's bored of playing with me, he'll come for both of us!"
"What?!"
Grandma's eyes widened in shock, quickly replaced by rage.
That human had not only stolen her subordinate, but now dared to threaten her life?
This was going too far!
But no matter how furious she felt, Grandma was helpless against that terrifying man.
If she weren't rooted to this place by her nature as a tree demon, she would've fled Orchid Temple long ago.
Now, she was caught between a rock and a hard place.
She couldn't fight him… and she couldn't run.
"Lillian! Lillian! Think of something, quickly!" Grandma snapped.
Lillian was just about to suggest her plan when Evy stepped in first.
"Grandma, have you forgotten?" Evy said with a sly smile. "Sister has a marriage agreement with the Black Mountain Demon. That man is far too powerful to face directly—we'll have to outsmart him."
She leaned closer.
"You could notify the Black Mountain Lord and let him deal with it. Considering how much he values Sister, he won't stand idly by."
"The Black Mountain Lord has cultivated for ten thousand years—his power is immense. If he and that human fight, surely one of them will be injured, if not both. Grandma, you might even benefit from their clash!"
Lillian's eyes narrowed. Evy had stolen the very words she was about to say.
Of course, she understood Evy's true motive—this wasn't help, it was a setup.
Evy wanted to push her from one fire pit into another.
But that was fine. If she'd said it herself, Grandma might've suspected something.
After all, what sane woman would willingly throw herself into the clutches of the Black Mountain Demon?
Coming from Evy, though, the plan sounded… reasonable.
"Evy, you have a point," Grandma said thoughtfully.
She had considered asking the Black Mountain Demon for help before.
But that old monster was notoriously hard to deal with—and his help came with a steep price.
Still, Evy's words made sense.
If those two powerhouses fought, and the Black Mountain Demon was wounded, she might just find a way to gain some of his power for herself!