In the forest, Lang Huan faced the serpent alone. She jumped back, dodging the serpent's snapping jaws. One of its eight heads lunged again, and she spun to the side, her sword glowing with energy.
With a sharp cry, she swung hard, aiming straight for its thick neck. But its skin was like stone—her blade barely pierced it. Gritting her teeth, she pushed harder, shouting as she poured all her strength into the attack.
Slowly, inch by inch, her sword sank deeper. And then—with a burst of power—she twisted her blade and sent the head flying.
The serpent screamed in pain, thrashing wildly. Its huge body slammed into trees, knocking them over like twigs. Its tail smashed against the ground again and again, sending dirt and rocks flying.
Lang Huan landed a few feet away, breathing hard. She narrowed her eyes. The monster wasn't regenerating. Good. That meant if she cut off all its heads… this thing would die.
Lang Huan pulled with all her strength. Bit by bit, her sword tore free from the serpent's throat. With a fierce cry, she flipped in the air and landed on its back. One by one, the serpent's heads came crashing down.
The beast writhed and screamed. Blood sprayed everywhere, soaking her robes and painting the forest. When the seventh head finally dropped, the massive body collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Breathing heavily, Lang Huan stood on top of the twitching corpse. She dragged her blade along its glittering golden scales, muttering, "You made my favorite robe dirty… now I'll take yours." She began slicing through the serpent's thick hide, peeling off its shimmering golden skin.
Lang Huan undid her outer robe and bundled the golden serpent scales carefully inside. "I'll melt these down," she murmured with a proud smile, "and turn them into jewelry… for Her Highness." Just as she was about to leave, the serpent's body trembled one last time.
From deep within its throat, something rolled out—a dark, stone-like orb glowing faintly. Lang Huan bent down and picked it up, slipping it into her belt pouch. Wearing only her middle garment, and with her body stained with dirt and blood, she turned and began her journey home.
From a distance, she spotted a familiar figure seated calmly in front of the house. Despite her exhaustion, Lang Huan couldn't stop the smile that broke across her face. She run, the bundle of serpent scales bouncing on her back. "Wife!" she called out joyfully. "I'm back…"
Feng Yao stood up the moment Lang Huan reached her. Her eyes scanned her body from head to toe, gently brushing aside the torn fabric of her middle robe. "Are you hurt?" Her fingers moved carefully over Lang Huan's shoulders and arms, checking for injuries.
Lang Huan just grinned and leaned in close. "Hey, why don't you kiss me first?" she teased, eyes sparkling mischievously. Feng Yao gave her an unimpressed look. "Look at yourself. You're filthy. Don't even think about stepping into my room like this."
She pinched Lang Huan's ear and gave it a sharp tug. "Go take a bath!" she ordered, though her expression softened with a mix of fondness and relief.
"Okay, okay!" Lang Huan laughed, tossing the bundle of golden serpent scales inside the house. What she didn't know was that Feng Yao had been waiting for her unable to rest.
Only after seeing Lang Huan return safely did Feng Yao finally let herself breathe again. She told A Li to prepare fresh clothes for her.
Lang Huan walked into the bedroom after her bath, her hair still damp and dripping softly onto her shoulders. Feng Yao motioned for her to sit. As Lang Huan obeyed, Feng Yao gently picked up a towel and began drying her hair.
Seeing that tenderness, Lang Huan caught her wrist and gave a small smile. "Is there no reward for me?" she asked playfully.
Lang Huan stood up, scooped her into her arms, and tossed her onto the bed. She pounced, her hands already reaching to untie the gauze robe around Feng Yao's waist.
Feng Yao pinched her cheek and frowned. "No. I'm on my period. And this bed is hard. Don't think about it," she muttered, pushing Lang Huan's hands away.
Lang Huan pouted and leaned against her, resting her head on Feng Yao's shoulder. "Not even a kiss?" she whined.
Feng Yao rolled her eyes but leaned in anyway, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
Lang Huan asked in a softer voice, "Is everything okay while I was gone?"
"Yes… everything's fine. With Qiu Yue and the shadow guards around, you can rest assured."
Lang Huan's expression darkened slightly. "Next time… don't ask Qiu Yue to find or help me."
Feng Yao looked at her in confusion. "Why?" she asked softly. Lang Huan met her gaze, serious and calm. "Your Highness is smart. I'm sure you already know—Qiu Yue doesn't like me," she said flatly, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
Feng Yao reached out to gently rub Lang Huan's cheek with her thumb. "Qiu Yue's just stubborn. She talks tough, but her heart's actually soft. Maybe she's just scared you won't be able to protect me," she said quietly. Lang Huan raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Then you should tell her how powerful I am."
"Childish…" Feng Yao muttered, giving her a light pinch on the chin, though the smile stayed on her lips. She already had a feeling something must've happened between the two, but honestly… she couldn't be bothered to dig into it. Some things were better left alone.
"Yeah," Lang Huan replied, pulling her closer before they both fell into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, Feng Yao stretched lazily and asked A Li, "Where's Qiu Yue?"
A Li looked uneasy. "Xiao Lan went missing early this morning. Her mother came begging for help. Qiu Yue left to find her… but she hasn't come back yet."
Feng Yao frowned and turned toward Lang Huan—who was sitting there as calm as ever, showing no emotion.
Letting out an annoyed sigh, she walked straight over and plopped herself onto Lang Huan's lap. Wrapping her arms around Lang Huan's neck, she narrowed her eyes.
"Don't pretend," she said. "If you want to go look for her, then go. Tch… why wait for me to tell you?"
As Feng Yao stood by the door, about to give her usual reminder, Lang Huan beat her to it with a soft smile. "Yes, I know," she said, adjusting her sword. "Don't fight unless it's necessary. If the situation gets dangerous—leave right away. That's what you were going to say, right?"
Feng Yao hummed. Just as she turned to leave, Lang Huan called out, "One more thing—wear your veil. There are too many perverts out there."
She pulled the silk veil over her face, hiding the amused curve of her lips.
Lang Huan let out a sharp howl that echoed through the trees. In seconds, a familiar white blur appeared—Xiao Bai came sprinting from the edge of the forest, his massive paws pounding the earth.
Lang Huan leapt up and landed smoothly on his back. "Let's go," she said, and Xiao Bai dashed forward like the wind, following Qiu Yue's trail deep into the forest.
The path grew narrower and darker as they went further in. Branches brushed past her shoulders, and the air turned cooler. Suddenly, Lang Huan heard the sound of rushing water. She looked ahead—and gasped. Before her stood a hidden glade, glowing softly under the morning sun.
A tall waterfall poured down a cliffside, surrounded by moss and glistening rocks. The beauty of it made her pause. "This place…" she murmured. "It's like a secret world."
Xiao Bai leapt into the water with a splash, swimming directly toward the crashing curtain of the waterfall. "Wait—where are you going?" Lang Huan called. Xiao Bai didn't stop.
Instead, he let out a loud, urgent howl. Lang Huan's eyes widened. "Behind the waterfall?" she realized. Holding tight, she braced herself as Xiao Bai dove through the roaring water.
The moment they passed through the waterfall, Lang Huan heard the sound of a fierce fight. Her heart tightened. Behind the waterfall lay a hidden cave, dimly lit by glowing crystals.
In the middle of it, Qiu Yue was engaged in a deadly battle with a strange woman with long silver-white hair flowing wildly around her shoulders.
Just as Lang Huan arrived, the silver-haired woman landed a brutal strike. Qiu Yue's body flew through the air, blood trailing behind her.
"Qiu Yue!" Lang Huan shouted. She leapt from Xiao Bai's back and caught Qiu Yue mid-air in her arms, her boots skidding across the stone floor as she absorbed the impact.
Qiu Yue coughed, her lips stained red, but managed a weak smile.
Not far from them, Xiao Lan was tied up with thick ropes, guarded by the anxious village chief. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Next to her, her mother's lifeless body lay still on the ground, her face pale and cold.
Lang Huan narrowed her eyes at the village chief, who immediately took a shaky step back.
Then she turned back to Qiu Yue and said casually, "Am I handsome?"
"You've been staring at me and drooling." Lang Huan raising one brow.
Qiu Yue's face turned red instantly—whether from embarrassment or irritation.
"Shut up!" she snapped, smacking Lang Huan's shoulder and forcing herself out of her arms. She landed on her feet, wincing slightly from the pain.
The tense between them was suddenly broken by a choked sob. "Big brother…" Xiao Lan cried softly. Her voice cracked as she looked at them with teary eyes.
"Was it you?!" the silver-haired woman roared, stepping forward. Her long hair whipped behind her like fire in the wind. "Did you kill my serpent?!"