In the hidden depths of the cave, droplets of water seeped from the crevices in the rocks, gathering along the varying lengths and widths of stalactites, eventually falling unnoticed.
The droplets plummeted into a shallow pool below or onto another pointed stalactite, creating a series of faint, rhythmic sounds—either a gentle drip or a ringing echo.
The cave, which should have been damp and cold, now radiated a surprising warmth. Several campfires not only illuminated the rocky hall beneath but also emitted an immense heat that drove away much of the dampness and chill.
In a boiling stone cauldron, steam spiraled upwards as strips of snow-white cotton, once belonging to Li Xiaobai, were now being simmered in the water.
"Mm! Tighten it a bit more. Harder—hiss! That's it!"
The snake-woman, Qing Yao, had loosened her robe slightly, revealing her pale, delicate skin, cold as ice. Yet Li Xiaobai, despite the "scenic" view before him, remained oblivious to her beauty. Sweat poured from his brow as he worked diligently, wrapping the demoness, a being who could devour him in an instant, into a mummy. Even wrapped in strips of cloth, her curves, especially her 36D chest and impossibly slender waist, remained striking, only accentuated by the bindings.
Nearby, in a stone bowl, dandelions, ginseng, crane grass, and even pieces of wild honeycomb were mashed into a dark, almost unrecognizable paste. Although it appeared thick and unpleasant, it held the natural power to reduce inflammation, stop bleeding, and accelerate wound healing.
Li Xiaobai carefully applied this "paste" onto Qing Yao's torso and the numerous horrifying wounds on her back, before delicately bandaging them with the cotton strips he had previously boiled. Before this, the wounds had been cleansed with dandelion-infused water. Although lacking alcohol or iodine, dandelion—seemingly a common weed—had potent, natural antibiotic properties, and it was the kind that wouldn't lead to resistance.
Despite having taken human form, the wounds inflicted by the fight between Qing Yao, the green serpent demon, and the grizzly bear demon had not healed. They remained, albeit less visible, yet still severe.
Perhaps it was because of that one word, "Run," that Li Xiaobai had mustered just enough strength to offer to bandage Qing Yao's wounds.
Unexpectedly, Qing Yao did not object. Instead, she smiled softly and allowed him to proceed, as though it were a playful game.
Having survived together, a tacit understanding had formed between them, whether they were aware of it or not.
Demons possessed an extraordinary vitality. Even without the use of needles and thread to stitch the wounds, the natural magic in their bodies allowed their wounds to slowly close. Even without Li Xiaobai's "paste," they could still heal, though it would take more time.
Li Xiaobai surveyed the mummy he had fashioned, feeling a sense of pride in his work. He was certain no one else could create such a masterpiece from a wild demon.
"Mission accomplished, my dear… Uh! A good review, please!"
He almost blurted it out, but immediately reminded himself that this wasn't a helpless girl to be picked like fruit—this was a demoness capable of eating him without hesitation.
Fortunately, his wit had saved him.
The reason Li Xiaobai was so attentive to Qing Yao's wounds was not entirely selfless. In this realm of demons, one could not survive alone. It was likely that, unaided, he would be captured by smaller demons and meet a grim fate. With the snake-woman Qing Yao by his side, though there was always the danger of being eaten, it was the lesser of two evils. At least she could serve as a temporary shield.
Moreover, even without the threat of demons, being unarmed and alone in these vast mountains left him with no food, no resources. Now, at least, he could secure a meal.
"Your servant thanks the noble sir. Please, accept my humble praise!"
The mummified Qing Yao swayed her waist and leaned closer, and just as Li Xiaobai's vision darkened, he felt a small, cool touch on his cheek. His heart began to race—was this a sign of poisoning?
This demoness!
Is this the end?
For a brief moment, Li Xiaobai was frozen, as if under a spell, but soon his heartbeat steadied. It wasn't speeding up, nor slowing down—it was simply rhythmic.
He looked down at himself and touched his cheek, finding no harm at all.
But then he heard Qing Yao's mischievous laughter. Realization struck him like a bolt.
Damn it! She's playing with me again!
If there's a next time, I'll put her in eighteen different poses!
"Your servant never guessed… You are a sorcerer!" Qing Yao teased, tilting her head and examining Li Xiaobai as though seeing him for the first time.
Li Xiaobai, caught off guard by her intense gaze, stammered, "Wh-what sorcerer?"
I'm still just a Master!
"If you weren't a sorcerer, how could you have killed that big, dumb bear?" Qing Yao countered, her tone one of disbelief. A mere mortal, unarmed, should not have been able to so easily slay a demon of such high rank.
Even she, though brimming with demon power and unharmed, would have had no chance against the sword light that had struck down the bear demon.
The mysterious sword chant that had rattled her spirit, the deadly sword light that had killed the bear in one strike—such a person could not have been captured by her so easily. She now found herself intrigued by the secrets Li Xiaobai was hiding, even more so than the faint trace of imperial nectar aura around him.
Li Xiaobai hesitated briefly, then chuckled and shook his head, "I… I don't know!"
He looked at his hands, still unsure of what had caused him to make that strange motion, or even utter the peculiar word.
"Xi He," he recalled, certain he had never heard this term before.
Could it be an incantation? Does saying "Xi He" kill demons?
But he said nothing about the mysterious lotus that had blossomed in his mind, though he felt deep down that "Xi He," along with the sudden appearance of the sword light, was somehow linked to this lotus flower.
Li Xiaobai was genuinely unaware, and Qing Yao could not detect any deception. Perhaps it was an accident, or perhaps it was a secret neither of them understood.
Suppressing the rising suspicion, Qing Yao's eyes fell on Li Xiaobai's right palm, noticing a small detail she hadn't paid attention to before.
"What is this on your palm, sir?"
It was a simple lotus design, delicate and elegant, evoking a sense of ethereal beauty.
Qing Yao was familiar with tattoos, seeing them often on both humans and demons. They adorned their bodies, whether for decoration, intimidation, or protection, including even magical formations and spells. However, tattoos like this, drawn on the palm, were rare. The simple lotus design, though not complex, was not one she recognized as part of any known spell or formation.
Li Xiaobai raised his hand, confused. "This? It's a lotus."
At this moment, the design was harmless, and he had long since stopped paying attention to it.
A lotus?
Qing Yao's thoughts stirred.
That foolish lion had ordered the demons to scour the Lion Peak, searching for what seemed to be a lotus.
Moreover, the Kunlun Demon Palace had sent word that the Chaos Azure Lotus, used to trigger the once-in-a-lifetime Moonlight eruption, had mysteriously disappeared, along with a pot of imperial nectar extracted from the moonlight. Now, standing before her was a human whose aura subtly carried the essence of imperial nectar, and in his palm, she saw a lotus.
The coincidence of both appearing on the same human was too remarkable. It made her wonder if it was connected to the missing Chaos Azure Lotus and the imperial nectar from the Kunlun Demon Palace.
A faint, ethereal demon aura gathered, transforming between the human and the demoness into a vivid, lifelike lotus.
"Sir, have you ever seen this?"
It was unmistakably the lotus that had appeared in the Evil Lion Palace under the gaze of the three-eyed evil lion, Mu Du.
Li Xiaobai's eyes widened as he stared at the familiar-looking demon aura lotus, recognizing it as the same one that had appeared in his memories—a translucent, glass-like lotus.
His heart stirred slightly. If the lotus bud in his mind fully bloomed, perhaps it would look like this.
After a long pause, Li Xiaobai shook his head firmly.
No matter what connections there might be between these things, he dared not reveal his thoughts, fearful of bringing ruin upon himself.
"By the way, that bear demon mentioned something about imperial nectar. What exactly is imperial nectar?"
Suddenly, Li Xiaobai recalled the bear's words about the "imperial nectar" on him, which had led to the ensuing battle with Qing Yao.
However, beyond his clothes, trinkets, and a little silver, he had nothing else on him. What could possibly be this "imperial nectar"? He had no idea what it even looked like.
This was a matter of life and death, and Li Xiaobai felt it necessary to clarify, lest he be targeted by other demons in the future and suffer the same fate.
Qing Yao's eyes glinted with understanding. Despite his lack of knowledge about the