Beauty and the Beast

That night...

'How are you, Chun?' Beiyue asked Chun as she visited Chun's room with the REAL Lianyi.

'Well, the soreness is starting to go away. By tomorrow I can get around, but no action yet. That technique wiped me out.' Chun sighed heavily. She took out her space ring and took out a beautiful pendant with a golden chain, tribal-style made to boot, made of high-class material.

'What's this?'

'Use this tomorrow. When I told Emperor you have Princess Royal's jade flute on you as a potential bargaining chip, he went bonkers-' Beiyue, Lianyi, Xuanyu, Dongling and Ji Ke sweatdropped, '-and fashioned this item for you to use instead. He doesn't want to lose anything of hers any more. You and that flute. Be careful tomorrow.'

'Right...'

'A-Xuan and I cannot show up or Prince Quan will be on guard. He'll relax around mercenaries tomorrow...and uh, about Wei Yanran...she's from Dongli and Dongli once enslaved the Henala...you guys gonna be OK?'

'...we will discuss that.' said Beiyue firmly, taking the pendant. 'I will not endanger my men.'

'Wei Yanran is a potential ally as she hates her father's guts...the issue is the people around her loyal to her father and Prince Quan. But when alone, she will do all means to undermine them. But when present, she has no choice but to obey...her mother's life is on the line.' she sighed. 'Wei Wuchen is clearly, a domestic abuser.' her listeners gasped at this. 'She lived treading on eggshells, while raised to be a honey trap to be her father's tool all her life when at a young age, she was fast renown as the Fairy of Dongli, a tool Wei Wuchen readily exploited in his fast rise to power. She mastered womanly arts of charm, seduction, poison and bed. Even uses a powerful Charm spell to help things along to manipulate men into doing things her way. She sees herself as a soiled woman, soiled by her father...but soiling herself is all she can do or her mother bites it.'

'What horrible man?!' Dongling cried in anger.

'There's also a problem on the other side.' Ji Ke felt sorry for this woman he only saw once, when she danced as performance in their first time in Prince Quan's mansion.

'But if she'll help us when alone...we can use this.' said Beiyue. 'No matter the cost, war must not occur. 17 years ago, all countries barely begun to recover. If war occurs again so soon, all countries will pay economically just to satisfy the egos of power-hungry sharks.'

'Right...I have mastered resistance against powerful Charm spells, I'll be alright.' Lianyi told them. 'But I'll play along when necessary.' he sighed. 'Princess, gain what you can tomorrow. I'll do my part as well.'

'Right...'

'Miss, should Shengxue come back, what am I allowed to say?' Dongling asked the royals hopefully. 'Madam Mili would expect that I made use of my time here while she's gone or I'll be in trouble.'

'...we better get a script ready or she'll be killed.' said Xuanyu.

'We'll think on what she can say.' said Lianyi. 'I hope Shengxue will not be our enemy as well.'

xxx

Dongling returned to the hotel she and her servant are staying at.

'Miss Dongling, you're back.' said the man. 'Master says she will come soon with new girls.'

'Hopefully they won't disappoint or they won't last.' said Dongling wryly, taking off her black tulle mask. 'I have a lot to say about the situation in this country now. But I'll wait for Master to come first. I need a break.' she sighed. 'A vacation wouldn't be so bad until they get here. How about a nice trip to the local hot springs?' she suggested. 'Because when Madam gets here...there will be no rest for the weary.'

'R-right!' her eunuch lit up. 'I know just the place, Miss Dong'er!'

'Good. We should go now. Before we know what Madam and Elders have done after Leng Shuang, Ji Feng and Tie'er caused us to lose face. More pressure will be on me now.' said Dongling wryly.

Dongling indeed, has a short reprieve, because by next day...

Outside at the Mercenary Camps...

There's a few gorgeous camps built for Shengxue Palace and heavily guarded.

The inner three floors and the outer three floors are all those black-clothed and masked holy blood palace girls standing with knives, a bit more majestic and vicious than the male guards.

'Dong'er and servant Zhenming reports to Master.' the two kowtowed before Madam Mili.

Atmosphere was very tense. Even outside, while the girls looked like vicious guards, they were nervous.

'Report.'

Dongling then gave all she was allowed to know by her lady and King Qi, things an assassin worth her salt must know.

'...end of report, master.'

'Hmmm...so its like that.' Madam Mili frowned. 'We are here to aid the Union in destroying Xiuluo City but even you had difficulty.'

'Yes. We still await new plans. Then there's politics.' said Dongling. 'Conspiracies are rife and the consequence for losing to Prince Quan and his Dongli allies are a potential world war. Again. Its clear who's stirring trouble using Xiuluo City. Dong'er awaits orders.'

'Mm. We will take this into consideration. Good work.' Madam Mili praised her. Her successor took what information she can get. 'I need to know progress as well so I'll meet with the union. Wait for further instructions.'

'Yes ma'am!' and Madam Mili left with two girls, leaving Dongling and Zhenming alone in the office.

'...'

'Phew...Master Mili's mood improved.' Zhenming croaked out. 'We're all OK.' he was relieved. When superiors are in a bad mood, people either get hurt, or die.

'That's good for all our sakes actually.' said Dongling. 'When Master and Elders get mad, someone nearby always dies. And it takes years to raise experts, as well as money and resources.' she griped. 'Yet all that wasted on venting tempers. Uneconomical, but we cannot comment or not even I will be exempt should I mouth off at what's wrong in Shengxue.' she told him. 'All we can do is grit our teeth, stay silent, and obey.'

'Yes, milady.'

'We better find our quarters in this tent and move in. We'll be here till further notice, so return to your usual duties after we find my room.'

'Yes, ma'am.' and Zhenming went with his lady. They easily found Dongling's personal room as its the second-best one. Privilege as the successor and any eunuch serving the successor is just-as-privileged. That depends on their master of course.

Zhenming, her Chief Eunuch as well as her nine others, are privileged to have her as a master who treated them well behind closed doors. In public, Dongling must be cold-blooded but behind closed doors, she would soothe them for the front they are forced to show that usually gets them hurt, should they make a mistake.

xxx

For Huang Beiyue, the entrance to Xiuluo City is already very familiar. Entering from here, one will encounter a variety of inexplicable formations. Although there is Squeak, it will also alarm the mysterious snake behind.

The Old Demon Empress is not easy to deal with, so she should go in the way she came out.

'Bing, are you okay?' Huang Beiyue gently patted the head of the Bing Luan Phantom Bird. Last time he suffered such a serious injury. He has been recuperating in the spirit beast space, and the injury has slowly recovered.

'Don't worry, Master.' The Bing Luan Phantom bird turned his head and rubbed her palms. Only facing her, this proud Bing Luan bird would have such a gentle side.

Although he has not signed a life contract with Huang Beiyue, in her spirit beast space, he can still be nourished by her powerful vitality. The black vitality that permeates from the boundless beasts, for any spirit beast, They are the best nourishment.

After so many years, following Huang Beiyue, the strength of the Bing Luan Phantom Bird has leapt bounds, becoming a Divine Beast. Naturally, he admires her even more in her heart, and he swears to follow her closely. He is now a Rank 7 Divine Beast! He has evolved under his mistress! She focused on getting him this far as being her first beast, he was inferior to even a BABY Golden Tiger, Rank 4 at birth! That wounded his pride so, and made him realize that outside Nanyi, there are beasts stronger than he and to think he nearly settled for being a Wuling. A mere Wuling when he encountered that Swallow Sky Red Python, a beast stronger than he and not even an adult yet. That shocked him so. So to soothe his ruffled feathers, his mistress helped him grow.

'The front is where we came out that day.' Beiyue pointed to the front, and the ice phantom bird slowly landed.

Beiyue jumped down from mid-air. The exit was originally secret, but after being escaped by a large group of mercenaries that day, some of it was destroyed, and a lot of vines and plants that were originally blocked by the entrance of the cave were chopped off.

A small hole was exposed.

Beiyue just walked a few steps forward before taking out a Light Stone for lighting before proceeding. After walking through the winding tunnel of the cave, it was the deep ditch entrenched by the ferocious bird.

The space of this deep ditch is very broad, and there are countless caves, large and small, on the surrounding mountain walls, and they jumped from one of the caves.

Not long ago, after being baptized by the coercive baptism of the beasts that guarded the beasts and Molian, many of the ferocious birds in this deep ditch escaped, and now it is not as dangerous as before.

In the nests of the ferocious birds in the caves on both sides, there are some dying hungry young birds. They are so hungry that they start to eat the eggs of the ferocious birds that have not hatched. After the eggs are eaten, they start to eat the same kind and kill each other. Very bloody.

When they entered, they just saw a few fierce birds that had just grown their wings fighting and tearing, about to eat each other.

Hearing their movements and smelling the human breath, the young birds stopped fighting, turned their heads, and stared at them with bright eyes. The saliva in their mouths was pattering out and rancid. The smell came out.

The smell of humans makes them salivate, especially after a few days of hungry, it is impossible to control the gluttons in their stomachs.

Just after a moment of silence, the young birds went crazy and rushed towards the human girl standing under the mountain wall.

Beiyue just stood motionless, and did not seem to be frightened at all to run away.

Are you scared? Human beings are such weak and incompetent creatures!

Chi, la la, the sound of the flapping of the wings of a young bird vibrated in the air, pulling out a sense of horror that made the scalp numb.

Beiyue looked at the young birds coldly, looking at these ferocious young birds with disdain.

A few birds with no hairs even dared to shout in front of her!

BOOM. Beiyue attacked with a torrent of red-hot flames.

Almost just for an instant, the few young birds that rushed to the front were burned to a mass of ashes!

After catching up, the young bird who had not had time to stop also had part of its body touched the flame, and was also burned to ashes. The remaining half of the body fell to the ground and struggled to roll!

This horrible scene caused the ferocious birds behind to brake and stop, and then retreated prematurely.

Those originally greedy eyes looked at Huang Beiyue with fear.

"Hmph, making me waste my time." she sneered to herself, but she felt an unease in her heart when she used that technique just now.

It's just a simple fire control talisman, shouldn't it be a big deal?

Don't use spells for the time being. in the black water forbidden cell, Yan suddenly came out and said, I felt very upset for a moment.

"What are you upset about?" Beiyue was expressionless. Communicate with Yan in her heart.

My current relationship with you is like a summoner and a summoned beast. Once the summoner's life is in danger, the summoned beast will be aware of it.

Yan explained very easily, and Beiyue also understood it, but, The more she understood, the more disturbed she was.

Yan meant that when she used the spell technique just now, he felt that his life was in danger?

Slowly mobilizing the black vitality and entering the prison, nothing was noticed. Beiyue also settled down a bit, but decided not to use spell spells lightly when encountering danger for a while.

But something was also wrong here.

It is strange that although the guardian monster came out last time, it did not cause damage in the entire deep ditch. Many adult ferocious birds just hid, why is there one now?

These young birds did not have the ability to escape and were only left behind, but it is impossible that all the adult ferocious birds have escaped, right?

The more she went forward, it gets hotter and hotter. The temperature in the air slowly rises. Gradually, the air seems to burn. Every time she breathes, it feels as if her lungs are burned.

Beiyue is okay. There are five attributes in her body at the same time. As long as she protects herself with the vitality of the ice attribute, she can support it. Only those who are fire and water attributes can withstand this place. Other elements won't fare well here.

When she walked to the place where the guardian beast came out that day, the entire mountain wall was knocked open, revealing a huge cave, and a steady stream of scorching heat permeated from the hole.

At a glance, the other side of the collapsed mountain wall was burned red by the fire, like a magma hell.

Beiyue summoned the ice phantom bird and slowly leaned against the collapsed mountain wall.

The extremely cold air on the ice spirit bird can resist the surrounding scorching heat. Could it be that the guardian beast is still there even if Chun froze it? Did someone manage to destroy her technique?

Driving the ice phantom bird to sneak past, sure enough, before getting close to the mountain wall, one could vaguely see a huge beast that was burning with flames creeping on that side!

Fuck.

It's out.

The huge beast was lying listlessly on the ground, looking a little languid and sorrowful. A gray figure in front of it slowly walked over, and the beast raised its huge head all at once.

'Are you obedient? Have you wised up after you have been hungry for a few days? You ate all the animals outside and keep all the small ones.' The gray figure said coldly.

The Flame Demon shook his head in front of her, and then said aggrievedly: 'Wei Yang, has his majesty's anger disappeared?'

'Do you think it's that easy?' Wei Yang said coldly.

The expression of the flame monster was instantly relieved, and he continued to lie on the ground, licking his paws, looking very melancholy.

Wei Yang looked at him, said: 'I tell you, his majesty is currently not in Xiuluo City. I do not know when he will come back after that female he was very worried about. I tried to approach his majesty hoping he would come back, but he did not.'

The Flame Beast contentedly asked indifferently: 'If his Majesty doesn't come back, I can't leave here without authorization, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous. I might stay in this place for a long time, this one can't stop worrying.'

Wei Yang said: 'Queen Yin is his majesty's mother. It's okay to let Queen Yin say a few words for you.' Flame Beast looked up hopefully again: 'Really?'

'It depends on you, can you? Make the Empress happy.' A very subtle sneer appeared at the corner of Wei Yang's mouth.

'Sister Wei Yang, teach me.' Flame Beast immediately began to slacken its beard and pat.

'Huh, who is your sister?' Wei Yang glanced at him. This Flame Monster has not known how many years he has lived. Calling her sister, she was naturally unhappy in her heart!

'Okay, okay, Master Weiyang, can you teach me what to do?' Flame Beast saw her upset, so he had to change his words.

Wei Yang didn't want to waste time with him either. She stood in the flames. Although she had a magic weapon to protect her body, she wouldn't be burned, but she didn't feel good.

'The Empress Yin now most hopes that his Majesty can come back. If you can bring his Majesty back, Empress Yin will naturally help you.' Wei Yang smiled coldly.

When the Flame Beast heard her say this, he immediately shrunk his neck and said: 'This time I made his majesty unhappy, I don't dare to provoke a second time.'

'Huh, If you're not promising, then you can stay here. When the animals outside are cleaned up that there's no more to eat, I'll see what you do then!' Wei Yang dropped a word coldly, turned and left.

'Master Wei Yang!' The Flame Beast raised his head and called her unwillingly. 'Is there no other way? If I bring his majesty back, his majesty will definitely be angry. How dare I?'

'Who said his majesty would ? Are you angry?' Wei Yang turned her face to the side. The flames burned her face to look a little ruddy, which made her smell less cold than usual. 'You only need to bring his majesty back. No matter what you use, I will follow you in the name of Queen Yin. You promise, his majesty will never be angry.'

Flame Beast blinked those huge eyes, and looked a little honest, 'Really?'

'Don't believe it.' Wei Yang didn't bother to explain this time, body. Shaking, a long snake's tail was exposed under the long skirt, winding around on the ground, and soon went away.

'I'd better go out.' The Flame Beast took two steps forward.

Hiding outside, Beiyue immediately pressed her body tightly to the mountain wall, not daring to move.

The place where she were hiding was recessed in the mountain wall, and it was not easy to be discovered. In addition, she deliberately hid the aura on her body with charms, so that Wei Yang and the flame beast could not find her either.

However, the mountain wall became very hot because of the existence of the flame beast. Although Beiyue placed a layer of ice vitality around her, it was still a very painful torment to lean against it so close.

She has big sweat beads on her foreheads, dripping down her face and neck fast, but she dare not move. She waited to see what the flame beast would do next.

That flame beast took two steps forward, in turn stopped, tilted his head thought, said to himself: 'I'm such a big sub-out, will Beiyao's Capital be burned to ashes?' he said. He shook his huge body and head. The huge body slowly shrank one circle, one circle, and another circle...until, the flame beast that was bigger than a palace became a horse was so big, he turned his head to look at his appearance, a little satisfied, and jumped happily on the ground twice.

'Actually, I could be a little cuter...' The Flame Beast looked at the shadow he cast on the mountain wall, with a feeling of self-pity.

These words immediately made Huang Beiyue, who were hiding outside, sweatdrop!

This monster actually thought that he was very cute...

The flame beast thought about it again, and then began to shake its shape again. This time it became too cruel, and the burning flame slowly turned into a rat-like monster. size.

This monster has sharp horns, a big head and big eyes. All four legs are fat and short. The tail is pointed and a flame is burning on its body. It is indeed a little cute.

She got discovered, forcing her to fight it.

When it decided to be an idiot, Beiyue exploited and showed no mercy, sealing the Flame Beast.

"How it broke free I shall never know." Beiyue thought. The first victim of the technique, was Varia's Boss, Xanxus. That was what he got for causing Cradle Affair. And to think Chun, Sawada Tsubaki died shortly after that. She too, was sealed but something went wrong that caused her death instead.

Then again, life here was better for Chun. Chun doesn't have the heart to be a mafia donna anyway. She was too kind. What awaits her is a cruel life of a puppet. Here, she has a future of bliss with Jilin-Zi.

First things first, this beast.

This is her first sealed beast. Although the methods are a bit despicable, this is a Guardian Demon Beast! And it is a high-level monster!

Through the seal of the beast, it can be seen that the level of this monster is already eighth. This kind of abnormal level, if one wants to catch him, even if he is close to him, he will be burned to ashes!

However, this flame beast was too unlucky. It happened to be the most narcissistic and proud, and he met Huang Beiyue when he became a little mouse and wanted to go out to sell his cuteness.

She was no picture of uprightness, facing an eighth-order beast. Of course, she must have a fatal blow when he is weakest!

'Humph!' The Flame Demon snorted heavily, feeling deceived. 'Since you are King's friend, why didn't you say it earlier?'

'Didn't I say it?' Huang Beiyue smiled and looked at him. She feels that this flame monster actually has a bit of humanity, so she somewhat feels regretful.

'You speak nonsense!' Flame Beast roared uncomfortably, although it didn't have much power.

'Go ask Feng Lianyi, does he dare to be presumptuous when he sees me?' Huang Beiyue raised her brows and said evilly.

The flame beast dare not speak anymore. It doesn't know if what the human girl said is true or false. What if it is true?

'Since you and King are good friends, why do you do it to me?' Flame Beast still has a little bit of wonder, does this girl have any deep hatred with King?

'Since I have sealed you, I'm not afraid to tell you that he doesn't want to be King Xiuluo, so I will not let anyone block his way and make him unhappy.' A cold light flashed in Beiyue's eyes.

Flame Beast opened his eyes: 'How, how is it possible?'

'Why do you want to impose on him the wishful thinking of Queen Yin? The life he hopes is free and of happiness, you can't give it to him!' Beiyue finished speaking, and did not continue to talk nonsense with the flame beast, the wound on his ankle was still It hurts!

She severed the connection with the flame-sealed beast talisman and put the red bead into the ring.

'Master, your injury...' Bing Luan looked at her bleeding wound, a little worried.

'It's okay.' Beiyue sat on the wings of the ice phantom bird, took out the healing medicine she refined from the ring and smeared it, and Squeak was also helping her, holding her gauze in her small hand to carefully clean her wounds.

Xiaohu was also looking at her, looking at her sadly, as if she was injured.

'I better retreat while I still can. I'm no idiot and being alone here like this...' she swore. 'If that Wei Yang can make Flame Beast so meek, meeting her in my state is plain stupid! Let's go!'

xxx

Lianyi wasn't too happy when Beiyue came back from her reckless venture.

'Beiyue, you...!'

Yup, he wasn't happy.

'There were things I have to do, but sadly, I got into a little trouble.' said Beiyue. 'I'll stay here for now.'

'I swear, one of these days I'll never let you go.' Lianyi swore, holding her in his arms. 'You reckless girl.'

Beiyue chuckled at that.

'Well, at least I got something out of my mess...will you not talk to this fellow?'

Beiyue took out her seal and to his disbelief...

...he facepalmed.

'Erm, King?' the flame beast squeaked meekly. 'Is this girl what you wish for?'

'Sigh, I want to keep her with me, hold her forever and live with her, but she is very willful and reckless.' Lianyi sighed in fond exasperation. 'Indeed, the path to her heart is wrought with thorns.'

'Then King Qi, why not become a Sky?' Chun showed up. 'Become the Sky for a Cloud that drifts upon the blowing winds. Should the Cloud go still, it will find a home in the Sky.'

'Oi, Chun!' Beiyue sputtered at what Chun was implying. She wasn't sure if Lianyi's a Sky and heaven forbid...!

'That's a good idea, little sister-in-law.' Lianyi looked thoughtful, intrigued at the idea. 'If I become her Sky, I can have her with me forever.'

Beiyue created snowballs and pelted Chun who comically and childishly dodges her antics.

'Oi, don't make a mess in my house!'

The Flame Beast watched, baffled.