Besides, if his identity were recognized, another round of trouble would be unavoidable.
Seeing Shi Qingyun refuse so firmly, she gave up trying to persuade him. It was only a formality anyway; whether he went or not hardly mattered.
Little Green's wings beat rapidly through the air, and the scenery along the way raced backward.
An enormous city appeared before them, its weathered walls radiating grandeur and majesty.
Upon entering the capital, Little White and Shi Qingyun's eyes immediately lit up.
The streets teemed with people like ants. Members of every race could be seen everywhere, and even pureblood creatures appeared here.
Pavilions and towers stood in lofty ranks, piercing the clouds. Built from unknown precious materials, they shimmered with mysterious halos beneath the light.
Even though night had already fallen, it seemed that life here was only just beginning.
Lights blazed everywhere, and an endless stream of pedestrians passed dazzling arrays of goods lining both sides of the streets.
The War Goddess, however, seemed long accustomed to all this. She found an inn with Shi Qingyun and went inside.
She told Shi Qingyun to go out on his own if he wanted to have fun and come find her if anything came up. Feeling a little tired, she went to rest first.
After seeing all the bustling sights along the way, Little White had long since recovered from the earlier listlessness.
Faced with such a lively scene, Little White kept tugging at Shi Qingyun, eager to go out and play.
Shi Qingyun happened to want to enjoy himself too, so he headed out.
After parting with the War Goddess, he went to a pawnshop to exchange some things for Essence Jade. Fortunately, he had kept some beast hides, bones, and similar items on him, or he would have had to turn to the War Goddess.
Strolling and browsing, the human and beast got their first taste of the prosperity here.
The rich air of the mortal world let Shi Qingyun experience a different kind of splendor.
"First discovering the mortal world's charms, I borrow them to forget cultivation's many hardships."
Shaking his head, he resumed wandering. To be fair, there really was plenty of delicious food here. It was a little expensive, but it tasted excellent.
He and Little White had just replenished their supplies at a spice shop when he looked up and noticed a particularly lively intersection in the distance.
He took Little White over to join the excitement. Even from afar, he could see several girls with half-bared, creamy shoulders and graceful figures standing outside an inn, soliciting customers.
Men barely stopped there before the girls pulled them inside.
"Could this be..."
The women's eyes lit up when they saw Shi Qingyun. Such a handsome young gentleman was a rare find!
Swaying their graceful bodies, they crowded around him. Scented silk handkerchiefs brushed across Shi Qingyun's cheeks, leaving trails of fragrance.
Before he could react, they had surrounded him completely.
"Young gentleman, come inside and have a look. There are lots of tasty things in there!"
"Yes, yes! Hurry in and take a look!"
As they spoke, the fox tails behind them kept swaying. Through Shi Qingyun's eyes, the specks of pink light drifting from their bodies and mingling with the air were clearly visible.
Does this count as one of their ways of keeping business booming?
That said, in this world, he did not find anything wrong with it.
They were simply far too enthusiastic. Shi Qingyun had never faced such a barrage before. He hurriedly grabbed Little White and fled, several bright red lip prints still stamped on his flushed face.
Up in a tower, a woman reclined against a window, watching Shi Qingyun flee in disarray below. Several tails swayed idly behind her as she breathed a warm sigh through her soft pink lips.
"Interesting!"
Her seductive, delicate voice echoed through the tower.
Chapter 79: A Shower Falls, a Fairy Arrives
Shi Qingyun fled back to the inn with Little White in considerable disarray. He shut the door tightly and leaned against it, taking a moment to recover before finally releasing a deep breath of relief.
Little White jumped out of his arms and shook out the disheveled fur. Looking up at the unusually tense Shi Qingyun, Little White tilted a head in puzzlement.
Shi Qingyun went to the table, poured a cup of water, and drank it in one gulp, then looked at Little White following him with a tilted head.
He bent down and stroked that little head, offering an earnest warning.
"Everyone out there is a man-eating Ferocious Beast. You have to protect yourself, understand?"
"Awoo?"
At dawn, shafts of golden light spilled over the earth, bringing warmth and hope. The Stone Kingdom Imperial Capital continued the bustle and clamor of the night before.
In a quiet, spacious room, the War Goddess and Shi Qingyun sat facing each other.
"Did something happen yesterday?"
"Why did you come racing into the inn in such a panic?"
The War Goddess asked rather casually from beside Shi Qingyun.
"Ahem, nothing."
He hastily swallowed the food in his mouth and answered the War Goddess. Seeing how evasive he was, she stopped asking what had happened.
"I'm going to Martial King Manor. Wait for me here in the capital."
Shi Qingyun nodded. He happened to have some things he needed to do in the capital.
After his battle with Shi Yi, he understood deeply how important a good weapon was at his current stage. In that last fight, he had suffered several setbacks because of his weapon.
He could use this opportunity to have a weapon forged for himself.
After breakfast, the War Goddess took Little Green to Martial King Manor.
Shi Qingyun was just about to leave the inn with Little White when someone stopped him at the entrance.
"My young lady wants to see you."
An adorable little girl, as exquisite as carved jade, stood with her hair in a bun and her hands on her hips, addressing Shi Qingyun with a haughty air.
Her eyes even brightened when she mentioned her young lady, as though meeting her mistress were an immense honor.
Looking at this cocky little girl, he was rather speechless. Could she at least stop wagging her tail so fiercely while saying something so arrogant?
After speaking, the little girl kept her hands on her hips and raised her chin toward the sky.
Yet her gaze kept straying toward Shi Qingyun, and her tail swished from side to side behind her.
Little White climbed onto his shoulder and poked Shi Qingyun, who stood with his arms folded, with the bump on that little head.
"Not going!"
He shook his head and refused firmly. Then, right before the little girl's eyes, he took a single step and vanished.
Seeing Shi Qingyun disappear before her, the little girl could only hear that cold refusal echoing through her mind.
Those words were the final straw that broke her. Her anxious heart finally sank into despair, and life seemed utterly bleak.
She had only managed to obtain this task with great difficulty. How could she face her young lady after failing? At that thought, tears glittered in her eyes.
With his hands behind his head, Shi Qingyun walked leisurely down the bustling street with Little White, inwardly ranting about how expensive everything was here. A few lousy chunks of iron cost so much.
Just as he was furiously grumbling to himself, pink petals suddenly appeared overhead, blocking his path. They fluttered down from the sky like a shower of petals bestowed by the heavens.
The pink aura carried by the petals instantly spread throughout the street. The sky full of petals immediately drew passersby to stop and watch.
Amid the pink petals filling the sky, the Demoness drifted gracefully down, her tails swaying idly from side to side behind her.
Some of those lingering on the street accidentally inhaled the pink vapor. A flash of pink instantly crossed their eyes, and a feverish look surfaced.
Upon seeing the Demoness, they immediately crowded around her, calling out "Fairy!" with fanatical enthusiasm.
Only a handful of people with higher cultivation remained unaffected. Even so, they stopped when they saw the Demoness and stared at her without blinking.
They did not leave at once, deeply captivated by her beauty.
The Demoness landed lightly and seductively. Her figure was graceful and alluring, her skin as white as jade growing ever more translucent beneath the sunlight, while several tails swayed in the wind behind her.
The moment the Demoness's toes touched the ground, the surrounding spectators cheered even louder.
The constantly swaying fox tails and that peerless beauty immediately allowed Shi Qingyun to guess who she was.
The Demoness stepped forward, her long, lovely legs appearing and disappearing beneath the hem of her pink-and-white dress.
Her figure flickered several times before she appeared behind Shi Qingyun, her slender, jade-like hand trailing over his body.
She brought her soft pink lips close to Shi Qingyun's ear and whispered:
"Little brother, you're the one who made my maid cry, aren't you?"
A warm breath washed over his ear, startling him into a shudder. He hastily pushed away the Demoness, who was almost pressing herself against him.
"What do you mean, made her cry? Don't spit blood and slander me, all right!"
The Demoness was not annoyed at being pushed away. She began circling him on her long legs, studying him closely as unusual gleams shone in her eyes, as though she had found some rare treasure.
"What a forgetful little brother. You just made someone cry, and you've already forgotten."
Shi Qingyun immediately thought of the little girl at the inn's entrance and realized that the Demoness was the person who had wanted to see him.
Once he understood the full story, he stopped trading riddles with her and admitted it outright.
"I'm really sorry. I only teased her a little. I didn't expect to make her cry."
The Demoness suddenly leaned close to his face, a sly glint in her eyes, and spoke slowly beside his ear:
"Little brother, you really do know how to lie. A moment ago, you said you didn't know her, and now you remember."
Then she abruptly changed tack.
"Since you feel bad, little brother, why not come with me and apologize to her?"
Shi Qingyun nodded somewhat helplessly. Since the Demoness had come to invite him personally, he knew he could not escape this encounter today.
He followed closely behind the Demoness and arrived at the intersection from the previous day.
When the girls saw them approach, they all bowed to the Demoness, then noticed Shi Qingyun following behind her.
Their eyes immediately lit up, and they began whispering to the sisters beside them.
"Isn't that the handsome young fellow from yesterday?"
"He got away yesterday. Who would have thought our young lady would bring him back just one day later?"
Before you continue