Hiss~~
Above the roaring water, Su Xiaobai froze. A sudden, fiery pain tore through his lower half—a sensation so sharp it felt as though the heavens themselves had sent a lightning tribulation directly to his 'jade rod of destiny'.
His knees buckled, his breath hitched, and for a moment, the world stood still.
Then came the scream.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
It was a sound that shattered the forest's peace, sending birds fleeing and shaking squirrels from their branches. Beneath the water, the demon child grabbed to him with the grip of the damned, her delicate fingers wrapped tightly around his 'heavenly pillar of justice'.
"THAT'S NOT A HANDLE, YOU LITTLE MONSTER!" Su Xiaobai howled, his voice climbing higher than a phoenix in flight.
His face burned crimson, shame and agony warring for dominance.
CLENCH.
A fresh wave of torment coursed through him, and his scream hit a register that no mortal man should reach.
It was pain so profound it felt as if his bloodline itself was about to be severed, his entire ancestral lineage on the edge of oblivion.
"Let go! LET GO!" he begged, thrashing in the water. "You're going to destroy my 'Dao of Manhood!'"
But the demon child, her crimson eyes vacant and serene, pulled it tighter, as though holding the very lifeline of her existence.
Summoning every shred of will—and an instinctual, primal need to preserve his progeny—Su Xiaobai plunged his hands into the water and gripped her arms.
With a desperate roar, he tore her free.
SPLASH!
The river exploded around them as he hoisted her high into the air. She dangled like a soaked kitten, her crimson eyes blinking innocently, her small hands twitching as though still searching for a grip.
"ENOUGH!" he yelled again.
Finally, the it ended. Collapsing onto the riverbank, Su Xiaobai lay sprawled on the grass, gasping for breath.
His trembling hands hovered over his 'most sacred treasures', terrified of what he might find.
With the care of a craftsman inspecting a fragile artifact, he reached down and gingerly assessed the damage.
Relief surged through him like a heavenly blessing.
"Still… intact…" he whispered, tears streaming freely down his face. "Thank the heavens, my lineage is safe."
He lay there for a long moment, staring at the endless sky. Somewhere deep inside, he could feel his dignity packing its things and quietly walking away.
The demon child sat a short distance away, her small hands folded neatly in her lap, her expression as serene as a monk meditating atop a mountain.
Yet her fingers twitched faintly, as though contemplating another attempt.
Su Xiaobai glared at her, clutching his robes tightly around him.
"Don't you dare!" he barked, his voice still trembling.
The child tilted her head, a faint smile curving her lips—a smile that carried a hint of mischief and far too much satisfaction for his liking.
Groaning, Su Xiaobai covered his face with a hand.
The demon child in return tilted her head, her faint smile vanishing like a wisp of smoke, replaced by a feeling of sadness.
Her small hand quivered as she reached out, her fingers brushing against Su Xiaobai's cheek. The touch was hesitant, almost reverent, as if testing whether he was real or a fading dream.
"Hey!" Su Xiaobai jerked back, slapping her hand away with a scowl. "Don't act all innocent now. We both know what you just did to me!"
The demon child's face flushed a deep crimson, her ears twitching faintly.
"What are you—" Su Xiaobai began, determined not to be swayed by her deceptively cute appearance, but the words faltered in his throat.
A sudden jolt coursed through him. His eyes snapped to her palm.
"Wait… You've already formed a core?!"
The words spilled from his mouth in disbelief. The realization struck him like a thunderclap.
This tiny creature, barely more than a child, had surpassed him in cultivation.
Su Xiaobai's bitter laugh echoed through the clearing. "Even a demon baby's more talented than me. What's next? You ascending while I'm stuck breaking rocks?"
The demon child's expression remained unreadable, though her head tilted slightly as if pondering his words.
He sighed, waving her off. "Fine. You're my bodyguard now. I won't kick you away, just kill anyone who comes for me."
But before he could relax, a strange sweetness filled the air.
A white mist crept from the demon child's body, wrapping around him like silk. His limbs grew heavy, his eyelids drooping as his consciousness slipped away.
"What…" His words slurred, his limbs going heavy. "What's… happening…"
The world spun.
Thud!
His head drooped, and he collapsed into a defenseless slumber.
The demon child crouched beside him as he slumped to the ground. Her glowing eyes shimmered with unreadable intent.
For a long moment, she simply watched.
Then, she smiled.
Minutes passed in silence, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves and the steady murmur of the waterfall. Su Xiaobai lay sprawled on the grass, exhaustion pulling him into a sudden, unguarded sleep.
The demon girl approached quietly, her bare feet brushing the ground with the lightness of a falling petal. Without hesitation, she climbed onto his chest, her small frame pressing against him as if she belonged there.
Her crimson eyes locked onto his sleeping face, unblinking and intent. Her head rested over his heart, the steady rhythm of its beat echoing in her ears.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
For a fleeting moment, her expressionless mask cracked. Her lips trembled, and tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes.
But the moment passed too quickly. Her porcelain face twisted, a storm of emotions battling for dominance—sorrow, confusion, longing. Her expression shifted from a soft smile to quiet laughter, tears streaking her cheeks, only to harden again into an unsettling calm.
She clung to his neck, her breath ragged, her tiny claws brushing his skin as though tempted by something... vicious.
Her arms tightened. Her crimson gaze darkened.
And then—
"Grrrrroooowl~~"
The sound shattered the tension.
Her stomach's cry of hunger rang out like a declaration of betrayal, loud and clear. She froze, her predatory expression crumbling into wide-eyed panic.
Su Xiaobai stirred beneath her, his eyes fluttering open groggily.
"Huh…? What… was that?" he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. He blinked blearily at the demon girl perched on his chest.
Her face went blank instantly, a childlike innocence washing over her features as her long black hair fell forward, obscuring her panicked expression.
"…Your stomach?" he guessed, raising an eyebrow as the memory of the growl replayed in his head.
Her heart pounded as she scrambled off him, retreating with unsteady steps. Her claws retracted as she forced a small, artificial smile onto her face.
Su Xiaobai rubbed his temples, sitting up slowly. "Did I… fall asleep here? On the shore?"
He glanced at the sky. It was already evening, the fading light painting the forest in shades of amber and shadow.
He sighed deeply. Guess the waterfall did me in. Months of endless strain had finally caught up to him, dragging him into an exhaustion he couldn't fight off.
His eyes shifted to the demon girl. She was hunched over a short distance away, her head bowed low as if hiding her face. Another loud growl rumbled from her stomach, louder this time, sealing her betrayal.
Su Xiaobai smirked. "You're hungry again? After drinking half my blood? Greedy little thing…" He chuckled, though his tone carried a bitter edge.
Yet, as he stared at her small, trembling frame, a strange warmth stirred within him.
He didn't understand why, but something about her softened the edges of his heart.
Normally, he loved crushing cute things—bugs, spirits, even plush toys if they annoyed him.
But this one… this one was different. She was sharp, dangerous, and unsettlingly adorable, yet he felt no desire to break her.
Perhaps that's what unsettled him the most.
The demon girl shuffled further back, trying to mask her embarrassment. Another growl from her stomach betrayed her once more.
"Alright, alright," Su Xiaobai said, standing up and dusting himself off. "Stop glaring at me like a starving puppy. Let's get you something to eat before you decide to literally eat me again."
He stalked into the woods, returning shortly with a rabbit dangling from one hand. With a practiced motion, he dispatched the creature, gutting it cleanly with the efficiency of someone who'd butchered more lives than he cared to count.
For a moment, as he stared at the lifeless rabbit, a strange thought struck him.
'Is this how the one above us feel? Watching us from above, able to destroy anything on a whim?'
A faint, unsettling smirk crossed his lips. It was a dangerous feeling—power, unrestrained and unchecked.
Shaking it off, he focused on roasting the rabbit over a fire.
The demon girl sat cross-legged beside him, her eyes fixed on the flames. Her expression was unreadable, but her crimson gaze never wavered from the cooking meat.
When it was done, Su Xiaobai tore off a piece and handed it to her. She nibbled at it hesitantly at first, her sharp teeth working awkwardly. Despite her earlier terror-inducing strength, she now looked absurdly harmless, like a child with no idea how to behave.
"You're a weird one," Su Xiaobai murmured, leaning back against a tree. His gaze on her small frame as she chewed. "If the heavens sent you, they've got a sick mind."
Because if he had something like this, there was no chance he'd let it go.
"Xiao Hei," he said suddenly.
The demon girl paused mid-bite, tilting her head.
"That's your name," Su Xiaobai said confidently. "Small, dangerous, and black-haired. Simple enough."
Her expression didn't change, but for a moment, her eyes flickered with something—annoyance? Amusement? It was hard to tell.
'Xiao Hei,' she repeated silently to herself, rolling the name around in her mind. 'Stupid name. Xiao Bai calls himself "Little White," and now I'm "Little Black?" What's next, naming me after the color of dirt?'
She looked away, her thoughts masked by her usual blank stare.
"Don't like it?" Su Xiaobai asked, smirking. "Too bad. Xiao Hei it is."
The demon girl dipped her head slightly, not bothering to argue.
Su Xiaobai grinned, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "Guess I'll keep you around, Xiao Hei. Just don't grab anything you're not supposed to again."
Her eyes flickered briefly, unreadable as ever, but she said nothing, focusing instead on her meal.
For now, Su Xiaobai let it slide. The forest seemed calm, the air unusually sweet. He glanced at her again, an odd feeling at the back of his mind.
"Something's strange about this place," he muttered, his gaze scanning the woods.
Xiao Hei stiffened almost imperceptibly, her chewing slowing for a fraction of a second before resuming.
Su Xiaobai's eyes narrowed slightly. Suspicious.
But for now, she was calm. And, truth be told, he didn't mind the quiet.
If she stayed this docile, maybe she'd make a decent bodyguard. Or, at the very least, a terrifyingly adorable pet.
For now, though, he let the Higher-ups keep their secrets.