The cat demon defies the heavens and is the emperor’s only beloved disciple!

Deep in the bamboo forest, it was past noon!

The summer sun hangs high in the sky, its heat as intense as molten gold, coating the bamboo leaves with a dazzling halo.

The heat wave rose in the air, the bamboo shadows swayed and rustled, as if the whole forest was breathing silently.

Jinxi leaned against a tall, slender green bamboo, the rough texture of the bark seeping through her clothes!

He tilted his head slightly, squinting as the sunlight stung his eyes, but could not hide the deep sorrow between his brows.

not far away!

Xu Wan squatted on the ground!

She held a tender green bamboo branch in her slender fingers and shook it gently. The leaves brushed the ground, making the magical beast Lingyao at her feet jump excitedly.

Awooo!!

At this moment, the magical beast Lingyao let out a low growl, its tail swishing happily, swirling up a few scattered bamboo leaves.

Looking at Xu Wan's smiling face, Jin Xi felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart!

He hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke softly:

"Aunt, Uncle..."

The words were abruptly cut off before they were finished, leaving only the faint sound of bamboo leaves rubbing together.

Xu Wan looked up at the sound, a strand of her dark hair being lifted by the wind, her eyes filled with an urgent question:

"What's up with him?"

She casually placed the bamboo branch on her lap.

"I kept pestering you to ask about the situation, but you kept making excuses and wouldn't tell me."

"What do you want to say to me when you bring him up now?"

Before Jin Xi could answer, her gaze had already turned to a clump of newly green bamboo not far away.

Those were the charred branches from the Qilin Fire that Jin Xi had inadvertently ignited earlier that day. The charred marks had not yet faded, but tender new buds had already sprouted, gleaming stubbornly in the blazing sun.

"Jin Xi!"

"Look at this bamboo forest..."

Xu Wan's voice suddenly calmed down, carrying a kind of insightful understanding of the world!

"It was charred black by your Qilin Fire, and you just used magic to force it to live, yet it's still alive and well, isn't it?"

"The roots of green bamboo are firmly planted in the soil, so they cannot be burned or crushed."

Jin Xi lowered his head and remained silent, his fists clenched tightly, his heart filled with unspeakable torment!

He couldn't bear to see Xu Wan disappointed, yet he was also unable to reveal the weight of the truth.

Xu Wan slowly stood up, straightened her slender waist, and skillfully twirled the bamboo branch in her palm, the bamboo leaves drawing delicate arcs of light.

Her tone was as indifferent as autumn water, yet every word was clear:

"Jin Xi, I know what you want to say."

"You're worried I'll be upset, and you think the reason he hasn't been seeing me is because... he's with Shimotsuki, right?"

Jin Xi suddenly looked up, her eyes instantly reddening, and hurriedly waved her hand:

"Uncle, no! He was indeed seriously injured and is currently in seclusion for cultivation!"

Xu Wan pressed on, asking:

"really?"

Jin Xi nodded eagerly, her face full of seriousness.

"Yes, yes! It's true! I saw it with my own eyes, there's not a single lie!"

However, the next moment...

His thoughts were drawn back to that thrilling rainy day.

"That day..."

"Thunder rumbled like ten thousand drums beating in unison, and torrential rain poured down!"

"My uncle lay on the grass in Zuiwan Forest with his eyes closed, his white hair tattered and his body covered in blood..."

"I even asked him out of curiosity if he had been struck by lightning and was injured like that, saying I would take him to my uncle for treatment!"

"I pushed him with all my might, but he wouldn't open his eyes. I could only transfer spiritual energy to him!"

"I tried to help him up, but his body was as heavy as a mountain."

"Later... he finally opened his eyes, and I heard him weakly call me Xi'er!"

"At that moment... I recognized him as my uncle!"

"It's ridiculous now that I told my uncle I'd take him to my uncle for treatment!"

"After transferring spiritual energy, my uncle's condition improved, so I picked him up and ran, because the black lightning kept striking one after another!"

"As any cultivator knows, that black lightning is the lightning of heavenly punishment!"

"Oh! I thought I could dodge it, but that black lightning struck straight at my uncle's forehead!"

"That lightning actually absorbed the spiritual power I transferred in!"

"My uncle's body instantly transformed into a golden dragon the size of an eel, without a single scale left."

"At that time... Shuangyue held up an umbrella, trying to shield him from the lightning, but the lightning was too fierce!"

"Finally...we finally...returned to Uncle's palace!"

"It was Shuangyue and Sister Luoge who, together with the three of us, managed to save Uncle's life..."

As Jin Xi spoke, tears streamed down her face like a broken dam, and her voice choked with sobs, almost breaking.

Xu Wan looked at his tear-streaked face, her heart suddenly clenched, and the bamboo stick in her hand quietly slipped from her grasp.

Lingyao nimbly darted forward, grabbed the branch in its mouth, and swallowed it.

Xu Wan lowered her head and sniffed, her nose stinging.

"Hmm...it seems that Shimotsuki does love him more than I do."

"I am indeed not as good as her..."

"She's not as pretty as him, not as sensible as him, and she wasn't even by his side when he was being punished by the gods..."

"If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have done this..."

Before the words were even finished!

A sudden rustling sound came from the bamboo forest.

Whoosh! ! !

A chilling, icy aura, carrying the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms, swept in, and bamboo leaves fluttered down like snowflakes.

Xu Wan, Jin Xi, and Ling Yao all raised their heads at the same time!

A snow-white figure gracefully descended from mid-air, her magnificent skirt swirling in the wind like clouds woven from ice crystals.

Xu Wan was stunned, her breath catching in her throat:

"Shuang...Shuangyue!"

Jin Xi, however, was like a frightened bird; she turned and ran, shouting at the top of her lungs as she ran:

Stop chasing me!

"Help! The sect leader of the Wuji Sect is going to kill someone!!"

The sound echoed through the bamboo forest, carrying a childlike panic.

Xu Wan watched his hurried retreating figure and actually laughed. The short laugh was particularly clear in the silence.

"hey-hey!"

The frosty moon landed steadily, and the fragrance of peach blossoms was refreshing.

She ignored Jin Xi's escape and stood quietly in front of Xu Wan.

His gaze was like a deep, cold pool, scrutinizing the other person inch by inch.

Seeing that there was no gloom in Xu Wan's eyes, and even a smile on her lips, Shuangyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief!

He pondered to himself:

Jin Xi didn't reveal anything she shouldn't have.

If the matter of the Emperor's death were truly revealed...

How could she laugh so naturally?

Xu Wan finally couldn't hold back any longer. She raised her hand to brush aside the wind-blown hair from her temples and spoke, feigning composure:

"Sect Leader Frostmoon, why are you staring at me like that?"

"Jin Xi has disappeared without a trace, aren't you going to chase after her?"

"He just falsely accused you, saying you were trying to kill him. Aren't you angry?"

"Could it be..."

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, but a hint of probing glint flashed in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, a hint of anger flashed in Shuangyue's clear, cold eyes!

With a sudden flick of her snow-white wide sleeves, a biting wind swept up, and several bamboo leaves instantly froze into ice, falling down with a soft rustling sound.

"I want to kill him? He can escape?"

Xu Wan was startled by the chill emanating from her!

He quickly stepped forward and grabbed the wide, white sleeve of the Frosty Moon!

The touch from my palm was cool and silky, like caressing the finest jade.

"Senior Sister Shuangyue, please don't be angry! Please don't be angry!"

Xu Wan's tone was gentle, with a hint of comfort:

"Jin Xi is still young and is a fire unicorn, so it's inevitable that he'll be unruly."

“It must have been hard for you to take care of him. I apologize on his behalf.”

Shuangyue paused slightly, glanced at the slender hand on her sleeve with disdain, and with a flick of her wrist, broke free from Xu Wan's grasp.

She turned around, her gaze passing over Xu Wan, as if looking at the lush bamboo forest behind her, her tone tinged with a hint of melancholy and self-mockery:

"If it weren't for the Emperor's sake, I wouldn't want to say a single word to him, let alone come here to look for him!"

Xu Wan's heart tightened, and she quickly replied:

"Yes, yes, yes, Shuangyue, you are indeed capable. You are the sect leader of the Wuji Sect, and the Emperor passed the throne to you back then!"

"It is Jin Xi's good fortune that you would deign to take care of him!"

"Speaking of which, you are also my master's disciple, so you can be considered my senior sister!"

"Yes, but unfortunately, Master does favor me more and neglects you!"

"After my master emerges from seclusion, I will put in a good word for you with him!"

"Have him send some rare spiritual treasures or beauty-enhancing elixirs as a reward to express his gratitude!"

"Try to persuade him to cherish and love you more!"