Critical Danger

When Xiao Xiao mentioned Yinzi, there was even a hint of amusement in his voice. What a blunt, straightforward name.

"No, stay seated." Seeing the girl struggle to get up, Xiao Xiao hurried to stop her.

The girl stubbornly rose anyway.

"Hello, my name is Su Youjin."

Standing, Su Youjin was quite tall for a girl, probably around five-foot-six. She was slender and somewhat thin, but not to the point of being gaunt. Somehow, her build suited her cool, detached air perfectly, giving her an ethereal feeling, as if she stood apart from the world.

But at that moment, Xiao Xiao's stronger impression was: What a stubborn girl.

It was probably this very nature that allowed her to hold her own against a fox demon despite being an ordinary person, wasn't it?

Xiao Xiao gave a helpless smile and decided to get straight to the point. "Do you know what's happening to you?"

Since Su Youjin could see the Ear Mouse, Xiao Xiao had far fewer concerns. And with the person directly involved cooperating, things would be much easier.

Xiao Xiao had become much more composed about meeting people who, like him, could see demons.

After all, the world was so vast. How could he be the only one who could see demons? Besides, not everyone who could see demons would share his interests and become his friend.

Su Youjin's eyes widened suddenly, and she stared at Xiao Xiao with uncertainty.

She naturally knew what was happening to her body.

But the matter was so bizarre that she hadn't even told her parents or relatives.

How could she explain it to them? Tell them a demon was trying to possess her?

If she hadn't experienced it herself, she would have thought anyone saying such a thing was joking—or wondered if they were mentally unwell.

Besides, her relationship with her overly busy parents had always been distant. As for her grandparents, who had always doted on her, she couldn't bear to make them worry.

After all, she believed that even if they did believe her, they would be powerless to help. So why tell them and make them worry about her?

She believed she could handle it herself.

Even when she was exhausted, she had never considered giving up.

Her pride wouldn't allow her to admit defeat, and she didn't want her grandparents to bear the consequences if she failed.

How could she let a demon take over her body and stay by her grandparents' side?

So she had kept struggling alone. No—not alone. Yinzi had always been with her, too.

At first, when she opened her eyes in the flower room where she usually rested and saw a stranger, how could she not have been shocked? But with Yinzi beside her, she wasn't afraid.

Even though she hadn't known at first, she gradually realized that Yinzi must be the kind of creature spoken of in legends—a demon.

Now, this person could see Yinzi, and he said Yinzi had brought him here.

That alone was enough for her to trust Xiao Xiao.

Of course, it was more accurate to say she trusted Yinzi rather than Xiao Xiao.

She believed Yinzi would never hurt her.

He was asking if she knew what was happening to her? How could she not know?

But he had noticed something, hadn't he?

Could he... help her?

Su Youjin was quiet by nature, and her struggle against the demon had made her even less prone to emotional highs and lows. Yet now, for once, she was unsettled, her heart pounding like a drum.

It had only been a month, yet it felt like an eternity.

She had even thought that if she truly couldn't hold on any longer, she would fight the demon to the death.

If she died, would the demon still want her body?

But as long as there was even the slightest hope, who would give up their life?

A faint starlight seemed to glimmer in Su Youjin's amber eyes. It flickered dimly, not especially bright, yet it was captivating.

Watching the light fade in and out of Su Youjin's eyes was like watching her wavering heart—wanting to believe, yet afraid to.

What beautiful eyes, Xiao Xiao thought. Suddenly, he felt the weight of the responsibility pressing down on him. If those beautiful eyes ended up filled with disappointment, he would feel terribly guilty, wouldn't he?

"Do you know what's happening to me?" Su Youjin hugged the Ear Mouse as it leaped into her arms. Her grip tightened until her fingertips turned white, but she made no attempt to avoid Xiao Xiao. She stared straight at him.

"You've been possessed by a fox demon." Xiao Xiao was direct. He felt it was best for them to be completely open with each other.

"A fox demon...?" Su Youjin looked dazed. "I only knew it was a demon. I didn't know it was a fox demon."

"Ah—" Su Youjin released her hands. Her legs stumbled, and she fell backward onto the reclining chair. Her head hung low, hiding her expression. Her hands, resting at her sides, clenched tightly, pale and bloodless. Fine blue veins rose across their backs, crisscrossing.

As if she could no longer endure it, Su Youjin raised both hands to cover her head and occasionally struck it.

The muffled thuds showed she was hitting herself with considerable force.

The Ear Mouse landed lightly on the ground and scratched at it incessantly with its claws, its agitation plain to see.

Xiao Xiao was startled, then realized the fox demon must be acting up.

Aside from her initial cry, Su Youjin had remained quiet. If he hadn't known what was happening beforehand, if her faintly trembling shoulders hadn't given anything away, who would have known she was fighting a demon for control of her body?

Who would have known she was at a critical juncture, her life hanging by a thread?

"Mm! Mm!" The Ear Mouse turned toward Xiao Xiao and snarled. Its whole body was tense, and its claws carved deep furrows into the ground. For the first time, its scarlet, slit-pupiled eyes openly showed its anxiety and concern in front of Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao furrowed his brows. Ignoring the Ear Mouse's cries, he fixed a grave gaze on Su Youjin.

Su Youjin had already collapsed onto the reclining chair, unable to control herself. Her frail, slender body curled up, and through her not-so-thin clothes, Xiao Xiao could clearly make out her prominent ribs.

Su Youjin buried her head deep in her arms. Her whole body trembled violently—no, her entire body was convulsing.

Clearly, her struggle with the fox demon was fierce.

Although he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, there was no time to hesitate. He would try something first.

Xiao Xiao stepped forward. "Excuse me." He reached out and grasped Su Youjin's wrist. The feel of her excessively thin, delicate wrist startled him, but he quickly gathered his wits and tried to summon the energy within his body.

He didn't know what the energy inside him was. It was some kind of energy, at any rate, so he would call it that for the time being.

Fortunately, Xiao Xiao had tried to control this energy before. After all, anyone would try to figure out a strange, inexplicable energy that suddenly appeared inside their body.

At the very least, he needed to be able to control it, so it wouldn't end up harming him instead.

Xiao Xiao drew the energy from his lower dantian. It passed through his middle dantian, traveled along his arm, and entered Su Youjin's body. It flowed straight upward toward her upper dantian, also known as the Niwan Palace.