As the music ended, many people, having changed their opinion of the demon race and praised Bei Sining, whispered among themselves as they left.
The Demon of the Zither maintained a calm expression, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealed joy.
“Not bad,” he said.
Bei Sining stepped down the steps, and in contrast to the taciturn teacher, the unknown boy showered her with praise.
Calling him a boy is perhaps no longer appropriate; he's grown up a bit. His features have matured, yet he remains handsome; it's simply a matter of natural grace, a gift from heaven.
"Brother Ning, you played so well!" He was so excited that his cheeks turned red, and his eyes were overflowing with admiration. "You played better than many human players! Better than those senior brothers! They don't dare to say anything... You're a strict teacher, right?"
After receiving the Qin Demon's approval, he went on and on: "I knew it. There's nothing Ning-ge can't do. Ning-ge is so beautiful and so strong. Ning-ge can memorize the books I can't memorize after reading them once... Sigh, I wish I had half of Ning-ge's abilities."
Bei Sining couldn't help but chuckle and tapped her cheek.
The boy was stunned.
The Demon King rarely smiled at outsiders, even showing a gentle expression was uncommon; only the furry little demons of North Shaking Mountain were entitled to such treatment. Kou Kou was usually treated gently by him, a level of intimacy that shocked those around them, but none of that compared to the moment the Demon King smiled.
All the dazzling array of things paled in comparison.
"Ah, um, I..." The boy's eyes suddenly reddened, his nose tingled, and he turned and ran away in a hurry.
Bei Sining was puzzled. She looked at the finger that had touched the other person's cheek. What, did she poke him?
The Qin Demon was in a good mood and, unusually, teased, "Are you shy?"
Bei Sining: "...Don't lie to me, who would be shy and look like they're about to cry? Koukou isn't usually like this."
"So that means you're both shy and like me." The Qin Demon just doesn't like to get involved in things, not that he doesn't understand human relationships. On the contrary, from an outsider's perspective, he sees many things more clearly than the people involved.
“…Hmm?” Bei Sining’s mind went blank for a moment, and she stopped walking down the corridor.
The corridors of the Liuhe Sect are magnificent and grand, layer upon layer, with layers of clouds on the outside, stirring up emotions.
After a long pause, Bei Sining finally moved, catching up with the Qin Demon, and asked him, "Master Yan, he seems to often tell me he likes me. Is it... the kind of liking where he wants to become my Daoist partner?"
The Demon of the Zither shook his head helplessly: "Don't you know your own situation?"
Suddenly, the young man felt a burning sensation on his neck. He reached out and pulled, and a beautiful red stone floated out from his clothes, swaying in front of him and enveloped in a brilliant red light.
Daoist partners? Daoist partners!
He likes me, do I like him?
Of course I like it!
His aunt hadn't lied to him. What cat wouldn't love to be loved? Adored, affectionate, and trusting gazes. From the very beginning, Koukou had been watching him intently.
The accompanying stone was heating up, which was proof that he was attracted to it.
"Si Ning, the Siming Cat is different from other demons; it is born with intelligence."
"Why? Because without a demon core, one cannot gain sentience, while our companion stones, when we are young, can serve as demon cores to aid our cultivation."
"Heaven gave us companion stones because it likes us."
"Siming Cat is born with good fortune. You will have a wonderful Daoist partner in the future who will love you, respect you, and regard you as a god."
—"Remember, keep your companion stone safe; it can protect your Daoist partner in crucial moments."
“Strict teacher,” he said urgently, his voice suddenly shedding the majesty of a demon king, becoming like a naive child, “He is a human. Can he become my Daoist partner?”
The Demon of the Zither said leisurely, "Does it matter whether someone is a demon or a human?"
"It doesn't matter!" Bei Sining shouted in her heart. "I'm no different from humans! I was born with intelligence too! I am the Fate Cat!"
“…I will go see the head of the Six Harmonies Sect tomorrow,” he said.
Koukou is the son of the leader of the Liuhe Sect.
The world of cultivators is real and cruel. You might receive preferential treatment because of your status, but you'll also have to bear greater pressure. When Koukou was one year old, it was determined that he had mediocre talent, and after that, the sect leader practically gave up on him.
Even if he is raised without supervision, Koukou is still the sect leader's son, and he will always have a place in the inner sect. He will have access to pills, talismans, and all kinds of cultivation resources, which, while not luxurious, will never be lacking.
Sometimes, the sect leader would check on him regularly and even give him some enviable magical artifacts.
Unfortunately, Koukou is too soft-hearted and doesn't know how to fight back when bullied, which makes her look like a pitiful little thing.
If it weren't for Bei Sining discovering him and standing up for him, he would have been bullied for who knows how long.
When the leader of the Six Harmonies Sect first heard that Koukou was associating with the Demon King of Beiyao Mountain, he surprisingly didn't say anything.
With the Immortal Cave Mansion in the hands of the Demon King, even the Three Sects and Six Schools had to admit that Beiyao Mountain had already become entangled with interests in the cultivation world and many other parties, and could no longer be moved casually, lest it cause a domino effect and lead to an unpleasant ending.
In that case, it's not a bad thing for the son to get along well with him.
But when he heard the content of Bei Sining's private meeting, he still showed great surprise.
"What? Say it again?"... He even said something so meaningless.
"I want to become Daoist partners with Koukou."
Bei Sining said solemnly, then added coldly, "Actually, I don't need your consent."
***
It was still that gray-blue mountain, with dark green trees in the distance, and the gray stone path at my feet was desolate.
Wen Zheng's heart pounded wildly, and when he reached out to touch his face, it was covered in tears.
The more excited and joyful Bei Sining appeared in the drama, the stronger his bad premonition became, until later, he didn't even have the energy to be jealous anymore.
My feet felt like they were soaked in ice water; even lifting them to move them sent waves of pain and numbness through me. Since *Leaving Space* doesn't simulate pain, the dungeons built on that architecture naturally don't either. It's all in his head.
He felt pain, so much so that he broke out in a cold sweat.
Suddenly, the scene of his first encounter with Dahei flashed into his mind.
The black, tattered plastic bag almost got hit by a car.
His body was covered in cuts from sharp weapons, and his limbs were bent.
He took a step forward, and another portal of light appeared. Wen Zheng had a premonition that this was the final segment.
What exactly did Bei Sining want to say to him?
Wen Zheng closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. No matter what, he was a warrior, and more importantly, Bei Sining's acknowledged current partner. He was a warrior. He protected the world, and he would protect his partner.
He must be brave and fearless.
Wen Zheng stepped into the portal.
The hands of time have been turned, and countless negotiations, compromises, and power struggles have taken place. Now, it's like a wedding scene.
Red silk adorned the entire Liuhe Sect, and the brilliance of magic illuminated the main hall and corridors as bright as day.
Bei Sining stood at the entrance of the main hall, with the beautiful young man standing beside her.
The boy was also dressed in red today, which made him look radiant.
The redness on his face never faded, and he would occasionally hide behind Bei Sining, which drew laughter from the demons of Beiyao Mountain.
"Ning-ge," he whispered in Bei Sining's ear after a group of people had left, "You look so beautiful today..."
Koukou's eyes were almost glazed over.
Just as Bei Sining was about to say something, the leader of the Six Harmonies Sect entered with a stiff smile.
“Congratulations, son-in-law,” he said.
"Congratulations," Bei Sining replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Today, most of the cultivators from the Six Harmonies Sect have come, all eager to witness history.
For thousands of years, the demon race and human cultivators have been fighting each other, and the deep hatred has accumulated from generation to generation, almost to the point of no return.
The bodies of demons can be used as materials for various weapon-refining and pill-making processes, while the golden cores of human cultivators are highly nourishing for some demons. This situation seems destined to lead to the destruction of one side.
Without Bei Sining, the new demon king who insisted on emerging from seclusion, the demon race might have weakened year after year and ultimately become a race subject to enslavement. However, fate had other plans, and Bei Sining appeared.
He was neither afraid nor hateful. His first action was to lead the demons down the mountain and, when they were able to protect themselves, to make contact and trade with humans.
The scales that have fallen off, the teeth that have been replaced, the horns that have fallen off—many things are useless to the demon race, but they can be sold for a high price by human weapon refiners without any loss.
Those who successfully complete a transaction and benefit from it will subconsciously protect those who benefit. Who wouldn't like a benefit that can be obtained without risking their life?
The Demon King gradually changed the situation, and before they knew it, the major sects of human cultivators had missed their best opportunity.
Today is clearly the moment when the demon race officially participates in history.
He actually became a Daoist couple with a direct descendant of the Six Harmonies Sect.
From now on, Beiyao Mountain will be officially accepted by the cultivation world, and no one will dare to discriminate against demons because of their status. Perhaps the two races will really reconcile one day.
Amidst the guests' excited emotions, Bei Sining, accompanied by the young man, slowly walked into the hall from outside along the flower-lined path.
A streak of light flashed across the sky, and petals fluttered down like rain.
"Sining." Koukou stopped and said softly, "We should have a drink."
Bei Sining touched her chest, her voice tense: "Wait, I have something else to give you."
"What?" Koukou looked bewildered.
The handsome demon king smiled and smiled.
Koukou is so fragile and naive, she doesn't even know this.
He dared to say that no one in the entire audience was unaware of this, after all, the companion stone of the Fate Cat was an extremely, extremely precious treasure.
The Fate Cat is a treasure trove, but this companion stone is undoubtedly the most coveted asset. Using it to forge weapons, one can create defensive artifacts capable of withstanding an attack from an immortal. Possessing it means having a sect's most prized possession, something even the most powerful sects and factions cannot find, making it coveted by everyone.
However, each Siming Cat only has one companion stone, and they value it highly. Even if they go out of their way to hunt, a Siming Cat will often choose to use it before it dies.
This small stone thus became an even more unattainable sacred object.
Now, Bei Sining has given it to her partner.
The guests gasped in surprise, and their whispers grew louder. Koukou carefully placed the stone in her palm and examined it closely.
"This is... the companion stone?"
His tone was somewhat strange.
Bei Sining took the jade cup filled with peach blossom wine and handed it to Koukou: "Stop looking, we should drink."
Their forearms were intertwined, their eyes were red, and they said with a smile, "Yes..."