As they spoke, Xiao Bai suddenly let out a sharp, long howl. Lang Huan, having just finished changing her clothes, quickly moved toward the white wolf, knowing that Xiao Bai might be sensing danger.
Everyone woke up instantly. "Something's wrong," someone whispered.
Out of the thick mist, people came running, shouting for help. It was Feng Tianwei and his men. Their faces were pale, eyes wide with fear. Behind them, something dark and huge moved through the fog. As it got closer, its shape became clear: a giant serpent with eight heads. Each head had glowing eyes full of hunger and rage.
Lang Huan froze for a moment. A cold chill ran down her back as she remembered the day she had joked with Feng Yao about an eight-headed snake. She had never believed such a creature could really exist.
But now there was no time to doubt or be afraid.
She snapped out of it, grabbed Feng Yao's wrist, and pulled her back. "Qiu Yue! Protect Her Highness—now!" she shouted.
Qiu Yue appeared like a shadow, moving fast. Behind her, the shadow guards surrounded Feng Yao, forming a wall of protection around her.
The huge snake came closer. Its eight heads moved through the air like living shadows.
On the other side, Master Xuankai raised his arm and threw a shining sword toward Lang Huan. She caught it in mid-air.
Master Xuankai and General Wu stepped up beside her. Standing shoulder to shoulder with them, Lang Huan lifted the sword, ready to fight.
In the middle of all the chaos, Feng Xiyan spotted Wei Yanzhou hiding behind a tree.
"Coward!" Without looking back, she ran forward to join Lang Huan, Master Xuankai, and General Wu at the front line.
The eight-headed serpent pulled back and let out a loud, high-pitched hiss that echoed through the forest. Its huge bodies moved like waves—smooth, silent, and terrifying. Every step it took made the ground shake beneath their feet.
Lang Huan was the first to attack. She swung her sword at one of the serpent's heads and cut deep into its flesh. The creature screamed in pain—but the wound healed instantly.
Master Xuankai raised his hands and chanted quickly. A glowing symbol appeared beneath the serpent, full of magical power. But the beast snarled and slammed its huge tail down, smashing the magic seal.
General Wu roared and drove his halberd into another of the serpent's heads. Black blood splattered onto the grass, and the monster screamed again. But just like before, the wound closed in seconds, the scales growing back. Another head lunged at the general, but he dodged just in time, its stinking breath brushing past his ear.
"This thing won't die!" Lang Huan shouted, sweat running down her face. One of the heads snapped toward her with its jaws wide open. She jumped back just in time—the serpent's burning breath nearly touched her cheek.
The monster didn't charge in blindly. Instead, it started pushing them apart. One head slammed into the ground beside Lang Huan and sent her flying into a tree with a painful crash. Its tail whipped out and struck General Wu's weapon, knocking it far from his reach.
In the middle of the loud battle—Feng Yao noticed something strange. Even though the serpent was attacking wildly, its glowing eyes were locked onto one person: Feng Tianwei. He was standing a short distance away, shaking with fear. The serpent was clearly following him, like it was obsessed.
Feng Yao narrowed her eyes. "Feng Tianwei!" she shouted. "What did you do to that monster? Did you steal something from it?"
Feng Tianwei didn't answer. He just grabbed his chest, as if hiding something under his robe.
Feng Yao raised two fingers to signal Wu Ming. She nodded, several shadow guards moved quickly and silently toward Feng Tianwei. His eyes widened as they got closer
"What are you doing?! I'm a prince!" he shouted, voice rising in panic. "Do you all want to die?!"
He backed away, but the guards didn't stop. They grabbed his arms and started searching him without hesitation.
A moment later, one of the guards pulled something out from under Feng Tianwei's robe—two large golden serpent scales, each as big as a man's hand.
Gasps spread through the camp. Then the serpent let out a terrifying scream.
It was so loud and sharp it felt like the sky itself might break. All of the serpent's eyes turned to the golden scales, glowing with even more rage than before.
Gao Fei and Bai Han turned to look. Their faces were filled with anger. Gao Fei marched up to Feng Tianwei and slapped him hard across the face.
"Asshole!" he roared. "You brought this disaster on us!"
Feng Tianwei fell to the ground, shocked. One hand went to his red cheek. His face twisted—not just from the pain, but from the shame and anger building inside him.
Then, out of nowhere, a white blur flew forward—Xiao Bai, the wolf, jumped onto one of the serpent's heads. He dug his claws deep into its thick scales. The wolf growled and held on tight, giving everyone a few precious seconds.
Lang Huan didn't waste the chance. Using qinggong, she jumped high into the air, slicing through the mist like an arrow. She raised her sword and drove it deep into one of the monster's glowing eyes.
The serpent screamed in pain and thrashed wildly. In a flash of rage, it swung its huge tail and hit Lang Huan hard while she was still in the air.
"Lang Huan!" Feng Xiyan yelled, running to catch her as she fell—but the force of the hit was too strong. The serpent's tail knocked both of them off the edge of the cliff. Their bodies disappeared into the darkness below.
"No! Lang Huan!!" Feng Yao screamed, her voice filled with fear and heartbreak. She ran toward the cliff, but Qiu Yue and A Li grabbed her arms, holding her back.
The wounded serpent hissed one final time. With deliberate, almost solemn movement, it slithered toward Feng Tianwei, its great heads lowering. Gently, it picked up the golden scales in its jaws—then, without another glance at the humans, it turned and slipped into the mist, vanishing into the night.
Feng Yao's world began to spin. The memory of Lang Huan falling disappearing into the mist —kept looping in her mind.
She couldn't breathe. The sounds around her faded into a dull blur. Then everything went dark, and her body collapsed into A Li's arms.
When Feng Yao finally awoke, her body was cold and trembling. A Li was at her side, carefully helping her sit up. But the moment the memory returned, sharp and unbearable, she pushed A Li away and rose to her feet, staggering slightly.
Her eyes locked onto Qiu Yue. She grabbed her collar. "Go find Lang Huan!" she screamed, her voice full of grief. "Don't come back until you bring him back!"
Qiu Yue didn't move. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were filled with sorrow. "Your Highness… we can't. Right now, we cannot send the guards away. Our duty is to protect you. Even if it costs our lives."
Feng Yao's face went pale. Her hand flew up, and she slapped Qiu Yue hard across the face.
"If he dies…" Feng Yao said, her voice shaking with anger, "then all of you will be buried with him!"
No one had ever seen the eldest princess like this. Only Feng Yao knew the depth of the pain—how it had unraveled her calm, igniting a fury she could no longer contain.
Qiu Yue didn't move. She stood still, head lowered. Blood dripped from the corner of her lip, but she didn't wipe it away.
Though her heart was heavy with guilt and a desperate urge to search for Lang Huan, she couldn't abandon her duty. Their lives belonged entirely to Feng Yao—their loyalty to her surpassed everything else.
After a long pause, she spoke quietly.
"Once we bring Your Highness back safely to the princess's mansion… we will accept our punishment. We will follow Young Master Ye in death."