The Dragon of the Fallen Demon Master Sister in a Book - Chapter 24

“Why are we back in the carriage again?” Chris felt a bit bored as she lay sprawled across a pile of soft silks and satins, rolling around comfortably. “I barely took two steps—isn’t this a little too luxurious? Heh, this journey has been way too smooth! What luck!”

 

Dragon Soul shot her a glare and immediately called her out. “Wasn’t it your two-legged human doing all the walking? Weren’t you just rolling around in their arms, acting cute and spoiled?”

 

Chris abruptly sat up, nodding solemnly at Dragon Soul. “You’re right.”

 

“But…” The little dragon raised her head slightly, narrowing her eyes with pride. “Being adorable is an art!”

 

“And…” She swiftly changed the subject, raising an eyebrow. “Haven’t you been perched on my head this whole time? Did you walk either?”

 

“Hah, if we’re rounding things off, weren’t you basically carried around by my A Zhuo too?”

 

Dragon Soul: “…”

 

For some reason, it felt like this little dragon was asking for a beating—yet Dragon Soul couldn’t actually refute her.

 

After a moment of contemplation, Dragon Soul had to admit the little dragon made a fair point. There really was no counterargument.

 

Just then, the young blonde noblewoman sitting across from them flicked open her folding fan with a sharp snap, drawing their attention. “Do either of you have experience exploring secret realms?”

 

The response was a unanimous shake of heads.

 

“I figured.” The noblewoman sighed, muttering under her breath, “You two are still a bit too young…” Then, her eyes glinting, she continued, “Then listen carefully. The secret realms at the edge of the Endless Forest have one particular trait—no, actually, all secret realms share this trait.”

 

“To keep it brief, I’ll explain as clearly as I can.”

 

“Normally, the opening of a secret realm draws cultivators from all over the world, competing for treasures. But the Ten Thousand Beasts Secret Realm isn’t fully open.” She pulled out a golden compass from her storage pouch. “Someone who emerged from the realm earlier presented this to me. With it, you can narrow down your search.”

 

“However…” The young noblewoman tilted her head slightly, revealing a pale stretch of neck. “As you can see, the beast tide is coming. When the bells of Qingyang City ring, you must return.”

 

Her emerald-green eyes widened slightly—and it was only then that Chris noticed something odd. The noblewoman’s pupils seemed almost… feline? Like a cat’s? Strange, why hadn’t she noticed earlier?

 

“I said must.” The noblewoman leaned forward, enunciating each word with deliberate weight, her voice slow and icy. “Do you understand?”

 

The sudden proximity made Feng Qingzhuo frown, but it also made her realize—this woman was a Golden Core cultivator herself. Unfazed, Feng Qingzhuo met her gaze steadily. “I don’t take my life lightly.”

 

The noblewoman withdrew just as quickly, those cat-like green eyes studying Feng Qingzhuo with a mix of curiosity and amusement. “You’d better not.”

 

“Wen Qian! This one’s yours!” Chris hovered mid-air, spewing a burst of dragonfire that instantly incinerated several hairless hyenas at the early Qi Condensation stage.

 

“Got it.” Wen Qian smoothly drew another arrow from her quiver, nocked it, aimed, and released—all in one fluid motion. The arrow struck true, piercing through the skull for an instant kill.

 

This made Chris sigh inwardly, “Ah, as expected. See? A sword cultivator who can’t shoot arrows isn’t a proper support!”

 

“Wait… what’s that…” Chris’s draconic pupils constricted as she noticed a patch of green leaves rustling unnaturally. Sensing danger, she shouted, “Look out!”

 

“Whoosh—” The serpent’s body coiled, and Wen Qian’s hand flew to the dagger at her waist. Just as she was about to draw it, a small dark shadow darted through the undergrowth.

 

“Thwip—”

 

An icicle impaled the pointed green snake’s body. With a “pop,” the serpent exploded from within, splattering bl00d everywhere. A nimble white figure emerged, effortlessly dodging all the gore as it struck a pose and meowed, “Meow meow meow.”

 

“Meow meow, meow meow meow!” (Translation: Behold! Your feline overlord makes a grand entrance!) The black-and-white tabby cat with a crown-like marking leapt down from the branches, tail held high. Its paws deftly avoided the filth on the ground as it strutted toward Wen Qian with the dignity of a savior.

 

The cat lifted its chin haughtily, awaiting worship from its human subject. But… this person looked oddly familiar. The feline’s eyes narrowed as it studied the face before it.

 

Oh. Wasn’t this her former little owner?

 

The cat fell silent.

 

Wen Qian stared intently at the cat before her and blurted out, “You’ve lost weight.”

 

The now-muscular cat: ?

 

The cat opened its mouth to protest, its amber eyes flashing with exasperation as it pulled the classic deadpan expression, turning its head away in disdain. “Meow meow, meow meow!” (Sis, you just don’t appreciate true physique! This is called being ripped, understand? Ripped!)

 

Wen Qian set down her bow and stepped forward, scooping the muscular cat into her arms and burying her face in its fur.

 

Cat: ?

 

Suddenly embraced, the cat struggled to push Wen Qian’s face away with its paws, mewing softly, “Meow meow, meow meow meow…” (Sis, stop sniffing me like this…)

 

“The outskirts of the Endless Forest are unusually restless. Normally, fierce beasts wouldn’t attack humans so recklessly.” Feng Qingzhuo stepped forward, skillfully extracting the cores from the early Qi Condensation hairless hyenas and tossing them to Wen Qian.

 

She then decapitated the beasts, storing the heads in a storage token before handing it to Wen Qian. “Your storage token. Keep it safe this time—don’t lose it again.”

 

“Mm-hmm, got it. Thanks, Senior Sister Feng.” Wen Qian nodded, accepting the token with her left hand while cradling the cat in her right, beaming at Feng Qingzhuo.

 

“The bl00d will attract more beasts. We should move quickly.” Feng Qingzhuo cleaned up the battlefield, flicking the bl00d from her sword.

 

Looking up at the dragon wheeling overhead, she called, “Chris, have you detected any secret realms nearby?”

 

Crystal hovered mid-air, darting from left to right, up and down, her eyes scanning intently. The dragon cub clutched a golden compass in her claws, its needle spinning wildly without settling on any precise direction.

 

Frowning at the compass in her palm, the little dragon felt utterly helpless. She couldn’t very well snap the thing in half, so she lowered her head and called out to Feng Qingzhuo, “A-Zhuo, it’s not here either!”

 

Feng Qingzhuo held a rough map of the outer reaches of the Endless Forest. “If we don’t find the entrance to the Beast King’s Secret Realm before the beast tide arrives, we’re in serious trouble.”

 

“We could be swallowed by the tide—it won’t be as easy to escape then,” she added, her expression darkening as she glanced at the scattered bones on the ground.

 

“But A-Zhuo, we’ve already searched the entire outer perimeter of the Endless Forest,” the dragon cub said, lowering her wings and landing smoothly on Feng Qingzhuo’s shoulder. She leaned in, studying the map and pointing with her claw, outlining large areas. “Here, here, and there—we’ve checked everywhere.”

 

“None of them are it.”

 

Feng Qingzhuo rubbed her temples in frustration before handing the map to Wen Qian. “Junior Sister Wen, you’re more familiar with this than we are. What do you think?”

 

Wen Qian waved her hands frantically, her face flushing. “Senior Sister Feng, I—I can’t read maps!”

 

The cat perched on her shoulder chimed in with a series of meows: “Meow, meow-meow-meow!” (But she’s illiterate—she can’t read maps at all!)

 

“Still, I think…” Wen Qian spoke up, “we should leave this place quickly.”

 

The cat nuzzled insistently against her neck, and Wen Qian, understanding its keen sense for danger, added, “The cat senses something bad coming. We need to get out of here.”

 

Surveying the bl00d-soaked ground and the overwhelming stench of gore—a surefire way to attract ferocious beasts—Feng Qingzhuo wrinkled her nose in disgust and carefully stepped around the mess. “Then let’s hurry.”

 

–

 

“Not here.”

 

“Not here.”

 

“Not this place either.”

 

Crystal felt utterly drained. She slumped against Feng Qingzhuo, exhausted—not physically, but mentally. Raising her head, she stared at the compass in her claws, a thought creeping in: Would this thing ever stop spinning? Or was it just broken?

 

“What rotten luck,” the little dragon muttered.

 

Her tail drooped naturally, instinctively curling around Feng Qingzhuo’s waist, occasionally giving an affectionate nudge. The physical contact soothed her—especially since the forest was uncomfortably hot and humid, but her A-Zhuo’s cool skin made the perfect refuge. Wonderful, just wonderful!

 

Feng Qingzhuo marked the explored areas on the map with charcoal, then glanced at the bl00d and bones littering the ground, sidestepping them again. “It seems the secret realm isn’t in the outer reaches of the Endless Forest after all.”

 

“But…” She looked up, puzzled. “Not only did we fail to find the Beast King’s Secret Realm—why haven’t we even stumbled upon the Hundred Beasts or Thousand Beasts realms?”

 

Wen Qian also found it somewhat strange. No matter what, this compass was still a spiritual-grade magical artifact. Using it to search for a Mystic-rank secret realm should theoretically be sufficient. What was going on? They had been running around for so long that the sky was about to darken, yet there wasn’t even a single clue?

 

In this world, magical artifacts were divided into four grades: Mortal, Spiritual, Earth, and Heaven. A Spiritual-grade artifact should perfectly match a Mystic-rank secret realm.

 

“Let’s find a place to set up camp and rest on the outermost edge first. It’s safer there.” Feng Qingzhuo looked up at the sky, observing the setting sun, and explained, “It’s getting late. The Beast Forest at night is extremely dangerous. Once night falls, it’s best not to light any fires—it makes us easy targets. So, we need to find a safe place to spend the night first.”

 

Wen Qian: “Mm.”

 

Chris: “Okay!”

 

Mao’er: “Meow!”

 

Both Chris and Wen Qian responded simultaneously. The human, dragon, and cat all unanimously agreed with Feng Qingzhuo’s decision—a full vote of approval!

 

As they searched for a campsite, suddenly, the sounds of the forest vanished. The noises made by animals abruptly disappeared, leaving only dead silence around them.

 

“Rustle.”

 

“Swish.”

 

Leaves began to stir, bushes started shaking, and the ground trembled.

 

Chris had been gathering firewood for roasting when the dragon pup suddenly raised her head, her gaze fixed intently on the thicket. She, too, sensed that something was amiss.

 

Mao’er instantly puffed up into a ball of fur, her sharp fangs gripping Wen Qian’s sleeve as if urging her to run.

 

The dragon spirit spoke up: “Something’s coming. Stop gathering and prepare for battle.”

 

Chris the dragon had one virtue—she listened to advice, and she listened well. Tossing aside the firewood she’d just collected, the dragon pup spread her wings and flew straight toward Feng Qingzhuo, landing in her arms. “A-Zhuo, something’s coming!” Chris exclaimed.

 

No sooner had Chris spoken than Wen Qian, alerted by Mao’er, retreated to Feng Qingzhuo’s side. Feng Qingzhuo asked her, “Have you learned the Tianxuan Sect’s basic offensive and defensive formations? Follow my lead later, and make sure not to fall behind. Splitting up here would be a very bad idea.”

 

Wen Qian nodded, her right hand already resting on the hilt of her sword at her waist, wasting no more words.

 

“The scent in the wind has changed,” Chris said, her dragon pupils narrowing into slits. “It’s the smell of human bl00d.”

 

Sure enough, before long, a middle-aged male cultivator crawled out from the depths of the Endless Forest. Only half of his body remained as he struggled forward with his hands. Behind him, hidden in the darkness, the beast seemed to be thoroughly enjoying itself. The pleasure of toying with its prey flickered in its crimson eyes—it was a Foundation Establishment Perfection Moonbear cub.

 

The crawling cultivator looked up and immediately spotted Feng Qingzhuo and Wen Qian. Suddenly agitated, he began screaming and cursing wildly, “You damned thing, go eat them! Go eat them!!! Don’t… don’t kill me.”

 

“Those two girls look so delicate and tender-skinned—Uncle Bear would definitely like them. F*ck, no… no… spare me!!!” Perhaps the black bear found the man on the ground too noisy and grew tired of toying with him. With a single swipe of its paw against the floor, the poor late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator met his end, his voice fading into silence as he was reduced to a bloody pulp.

 

A pair of crimson bear eyes then turned toward Feng Qingzhuo and Wen Qian. Its jet-black fur gave it an imposing presence as it stood on its hind legs, towering over them with a mighty roar.

 

Chris found the situation amusing and climbed onto Feng Qingzhuo’s head. The little dragon glared fiercely back at the crescent bear cub, responding with a deep growl of her own—What the hell are you staring at?! Look at yourself! What’s your problem?!

 

The black bear studied Chris for a moment, then glanced at itself, letting out a couple of low growls as if comparing their strengths. Noticing that Chris stood atop Feng Qingzhuo’s head—making her appear slightly taller—the bear seemed to reconsider. After a brief pause, it lowered itself back to the ground, gave Chris one last look, and lumbered away.

 

“Hey, A-Zhuo, look how awesome I am! I scared it off!” The little dragon crossed her arms, beaming with pride.

 

“That was a crescent bear cub,” the dragon spirit interjected, casting her a sidelong glance. “Bear-type beasts are the most vengeful. That cub was only at the peak of Foundation Establishment, but if you’d encountered an adult crescent bear today, it would’ve been at least mid-stage Golden Core.”

 

“Wait…” Chris froze. “When you say crescent bear, do you mean… a black bear with a pure white crescent moon mark on its forehead?”

 

“Exactly. How did you know?” the dragon spirit asked. But Chris was already pointing behind it, nearly speechless with shock. “HOLY SH*T!!! THE MOTHER CRESCENT BEAR!!! Damn it, beat the cub and the parent shows up!!! What are you all standing around for?! RUN!!!”

 

A massive black bear head with a gleaming white crescent mark emerged from the bushes. A deafening roar shook the ground—this was a Golden Core beast!!! The group didn’t dare hesitate, turning tail and sprinting for their lives.

 

–

 

“Beast rampage!!!” someone shouted.

 

In the long-quiet Qingyang City, ancient alarm bells tolled as the gates slammed shut. Those still outside scrambled desperately to get in, while the cultivators who had already entered stood in solemn white robes atop the city walls, bracing for the onslaught of beasts from the forest.

 

The beast tide had descended upon Qingyang City.

 

–

 

Perched on Feng Qingzhuo’s shoulder, the little dragon cursed, “Holy sht, holy sht, holy sh*t!”

 

“Talk about bad luck!”

 

“Don’t attack them,” the dragon spirit instructed, forcing Chris to swallow back the dragon flame she’d been about to unleash. Fuming, she turned to glare at the spirit, only for it to continue, “Get into the water. Crescent bears can’t swim—they hate getting their fur wet. Unless you’ve seriously wronged them, they won’t chase you down.”

 

Chris continued cursing, letting out a burp with a puff of black smoke after swallowing her anger. Flustered, she stood on Feng Qingzhuo’s shoulder, gripping tightly while giving directions:

 

“Forward, left, right, LEFT!!! I scouted a river ahead earlier—A-Zhuo, Wen Qian, hurry! Let’s take cover in the water!”

 

Sure enough, following Chris’s guidance, Feng Qingzhuo and Wen Qian spotted a rushing river ahead. However, the path was littered with scattered rocks, and the roaring water indicated a waterfall downstream. With the naked eye, it was impossible to gauge the waterfall’s height.

 

Choosing between plunging to their deaths here or being toyed with by the Moonfang Bear like that man earlier was… well, obviously no choice at all.

 

Who wants to die?! Of course, they’d choose survival!

 

“Try not to get separated by the current,” Feng Qingzhuo warned. Wen Qian summoned a section of emerald-green vine with her spiritual energy, its slender length binding the two humans, the dragon, and the cat together.

 

Feng Qingzhuo carried Chris while Wen Qian held the cat, both leaping without hesitation into the raging river.

 

The impact was tremendous, with hidden undercurrents making it impossible to resist the flow. Immediately, the group was scattered by the violent waters, though the sturdy vines kept them from drifting too far apart. Behind them, the Moonfang Bear roared furiously from the riverbank.

 

Swept downstream toward the waterfall—where a fall would surely cost them half their lives—Chris flapped her wings desperately, grabbing both humans’ hands. Struggling against the torrent, the dragonet screeched through gritted teeth, “Heavy! You’re crushing me!!”

 

“I’m just a juvenile dragon!!” Chris protested.

 

“A-Zhuo!” she called out. Feng Qingzhuo looked up and instantly froze the water above them with her spiritual power. Unfortunately, her Qi Refining stage cultivation meant the ice couldn’t hold long, shattering almost immediately under the current. The cat, also ice-aligned, quickly reinforced it, buying just enough time for Chris to react.

 

“There’s a large cavern behind the waterfall,” the dragon soul hovering nearby alerted them. But Chris, battered by the water, couldn’t even open her eyes to see. Seizing the momentary freeze, she shouted, “Wen Qian! There’s a space behind the falls—use the vines to pull us in!!”

 

Wen Qian’s eyes snapped open, spotting a cave in the cliff face. She willed the vines to extend, their length just reaching the rock wall. With a firm tug, she anchored them securely before yanking the entire group toward safety.

 

The ice sheet Feng Qingzhuo had created with her Frozen Grasp technique shattered overhead with a resounding crack, sending massive volumes of water crashing down as the frozen barrier collapsed completely.

 

“Hah… hah…” The dragonet sprawled on the ground, vigorously shaking water from her scales before raising her surface temperature to dry off instantly.

 

Feng Qingzhuo, who’d been holding out a handkerchief to wipe her down and now stood drenched: “……”

 

The cat walked to the side, obediently shook off the water from its fur, and licked its coat clean without splashing a single drop on anyone else. Its amber eyes gazed at Chris as if saying, “Hmph, such an ill-mannered dragon.”

 

Chris happened to look up and witness this scene. As the saying goes, no contrast, no harm. At first, she was furious, almost bristling with anger, ready to give the cat a couple of solid punches. But then, she was abruptly stopped by Feng Qingzhuo, who grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Seeing Feng Qingzhuo’s face splashed with water, the little dragon felt extremely guilty. Breaking free from Feng Qingzhuo’s grip, she turned her head away and said, “Ha, I see there’s still some firewood here. I’ll go gather some for you to start a fire. Yes, yes, start a fire, start a fire.”

 

The bonfire was lit, and the temperature in the cave began to rise.

 

Feng Qingzhuo and Wen Qian exchanged glances. Both of their clothes were still wet. Feng Qingzhuo said, “I’ll go change first.”

 

Wen Qian nodded, holding a piece of cloth as she continued to dry the fur of the cat nestled against her chest, her head lowered.

 

Feng Qingzhuo then walked deeper into the cave.

 

Chris sat by the bonfire for a while, staring into the flames. When she looked up, she saw the cat in Wen Qian’s arms raising its head and waving a paw at her, as if challenging her position as the elder sibling.

 

The dragon cub felt irritated, glaring at the cat and Wen Qian, unable to bear the sight. After waiting a while without Feng Qingzhuo returning, the dragon cub spread its wings, a hint of worry in its heart, and flew deeper into the cave.

 

“A-Zhuo, A-Zhuo, where are you?” Chris felt she didn’t belong there—there was no place for her between Wen Qian and the cat. It was more comfortable to be with Feng Qingzhuo. Flapping her wings, she suddenly looked down and saw this scene…

 

Her A-Zhuo was partially undressed, her pale hands lifting her outer garment. Was she… was she injured? Applying medicine?

 

But… how did she get hurt? Chris immediately thought of the earlier turbulent waters and hidden currents—perhaps her skin had been scraped by rocks.

 

Feng Qingzhuo took out a bottle of golden wound medicine from her storage pouch and applied it to her injury, pressing firmly and wincing in pain.

 

“Again with this method…” Chris turned her head away, muttering, “That must hurt like hell.”

 

But… the expanse of snow-white skin exposed to the air made Chris freeze mid-flight, nearly causing the young dragon to plummet.

 

For some reason, Chris instinctively averted her gaze, bl00d rushing to her head. Her mind was filled with the image of Feng Qingzhuo half-naked, looking back at her—an image she couldn’t shake. “Help, when did my A-Zhuo get such a good figure?”

 

“Ahhh!!!” Chris screamed internally.

 

The young black dragon cub, her bl00d boiling, quickly flew down and squeezed herself behind a rock. Her dark red eyes grew even redder as she frantically dug at the ground with her claws, scraping and scraping and scraping!!!