Su Rushi never expected that once the snake fell asleep, it would be like hibernation—it slept for a full three days before waking up.

And she had been anxiously watching over the snake for all three of those days.

Today was Tu Xiao’an’s tenth day at Rushi Pavilion. Ten days had passed in a flash.

When Tu Xiao’an awoke, he immediately felt a distinct change in his body. He was no longer so fragile; his injuries were more than halfway healed. The last bit of old skin on his tail would probably be completely shed before long.

In other words, Tu Xiao’an’s frustrating days were almost over.

A great Snake King, forced to act as a pet snake just to stay alive. While being taken care of felt pretty good, a little taste of it was more than enough.

He opened his snake eyes to a stunningly beautiful face filled with a plaintive resentment. Who else could it be but that gorgeous girl, Su Rushi?

"Xiaoleng, hmph... You’re too much! You actually slept for three whole days and neglected me for three whole days."

Her chiding words and pouty face made her look exactly like a girlfriend being ignored by her partner, but it was utterly adorable.

’I slept for three days?’

Tu Xiao’an himself really hadn’t felt it. As far as he was concerned, he had just taken a nap.

Perhaps it was because he had eaten so many Spirit Fruits recently and absorbed a large amount of the girl’s Cold Yin Qi, his body had recovered rapidly in his sleep, and his shedding was also proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Though the speed couldn’t compare to his time on Monkey Mountain, it was still quite good.

Now, he could almost see the light of victory at the end of the tunnel.

Ignoring the girl’s pouting, Tu Xiao’an opened his snake mouth at Su Rushi. His meaning was obvious: he was hungry and wanted to eat.

After spending so many days together, Su Rushi could understand the little snake’s simple gestures.

"Xiaoleng, you want to eat as soon as you wake up? What would you do out there if I weren’t here to take care of you?" Su Rushi wore an expression that said, ’You’re so lucky I found you.’ Then, she furrowed her brow. "Xiaoleng, you’ve eaten all of that fruit you like. Why don’t you have some meat first? Eating meat will help you grow faster and get stronger, right?"

Tu Xiao’an shook his head. He wasn’t really hungry; he just needed the Energy contained within the Spirit Fruits.

’Looks like I’ve really eaten this girl into poverty,’ he thought. The First rank Middle Grade Spirit Fruits the White Demon King had given her were extremely valuable, and he had eaten every last one.

Seeing the little snake sitting there motionless, Su Rushi thought it was upset and quickly comforted it. "Don’t be sad, Xiaoleng. When Brother Bai comes, I’ll just ask him for some more."

Tu Xiao’an’s face darkened at her words. He immediately shook his head like a rattle. If that damned hedgehog showed up, it would be his doom.

His body was mostly recovered anyway. The shedding of his tail’s Snake Skin would be complete within a few days, so it didn’t matter if he had no Spirit Fruits.

As if the girl had jinxed it, a dapper, handsome man arrived at Rushi Pavilion and called out from below the loft.

"Shi’Er, are you there? Brother Bai is here to see you."

Hearing the voice outside, Su Rushi’s face lit up with joy. "Xiaoleng, you’re so lucky! We were just talking about Brother Bai, and here he is. Every time he comes, he brings me a lot of that fruit."

With that, the young woman ran out of the room to greet him.

Tu Xiao’an was so shocked it felt like a clap of thunder had exploded over his head. ’Damn it! Some luck this is. Not good luck—a curse!’

If the White Demon King discovered him, he would definitely recognize him at a glance. He wouldn’t be allowed to live.

Although Tu Xiao’an could now use the Frost Element, it was far from enough to face the White Demon King.

Soon, two sets of footsteps approached from outside. Tu Xiao’an felt a sense of despair. He knew he had to hide. He absolutely could not be discovered by the White Demon King.

He frantically looked for a good hiding spot and, in a flash, slipped under the bed. Then, he completely retracted the aura of the Snake Race around his body.

He couldn’t let the White Demon King detect even a hint of the Snake Race’s aura.

"Shi’Er, Brother Bai hasn’t come to see you for a few days. You must have been terribly bored, haven’t you? Are you upset with your Brother Bai?"

The gentle male voice drifted in, and a moment later, the White Demon King and Su Rushi walked into the room.

At this moment, the White Demon King showed none of the menacing demonic aura or Vengeful Spirit. Instead, he looked like a friendly older brother from next door, a sunny smile on his face. He was like a completely different person from the one on Monkey Mountain.

Su Rushi shook her head. "I know you’re busy, Brother Bai. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine on my own. Besides, I have Xiaoleng to keep me company now."

As soon as she said this, Tu Xiao’an, hiding under the bed, was rendered speechless. ’This girl is trying to get me killed! She sold me out with her very first sentence!’

’This thoughtless girl.’

"What’s a Xiaoleng?" the White Demon King asked upon hearing the name.

Like a child showing off a new toy, Su Rushi happily turned toward her bed and said, "Xiaoleng is a little..."

Huh? Where was the snake?

Su Rushi realized the snake on her bed was gone and froze for a moment.

"What did Shi’Er find?" the White Demon King asked with a chuckle.

"A little snake. A very smart snake. I named him Xiaoleng."

’It’s over.’ Tu Xiao’an’s heart sank as if filled with cold lead. A sense of imminent danger washed over his entire body.

A snake?

Hearing the word "snake," the White Demon King’s smiling face instantly turned grim. He suddenly scanned the room, his eyes sharp and electric, trying to find the snake Su Rushi mentioned.

His search revealed nothing. Furthermore, he couldn’t detect any aura of the Snake Race in the room.

The White Demon King didn’t doubt Su Rushi’s words. She said there was a snake, but he couldn’t detect any aura of the Snake Race. This meant she had likely found an ordinary snake, not a member of a cultivating Snake Species.

However, the White Demon King wouldn’t be at ease until he saw the snake with his own eyes. He was extremely sensitive about snakes right now.

A great Demon King had failed to kill a single Snake Spirit, only succeeding in the end thanks to a sneak attack from another Demon King. What a disgrace.

"Brother Bai, Xiaoleng must be shy around strangers, so he’s hidden somewhere. It’s okay, let’s just ignore him," Su Rushi said after a moment’s thought. She had originally wanted to introduce her Xiaoleng to Brother Bai.

Anyone would love such a beautiful snake. But since Xiaoleng had hidden, she wouldn’t force the issue.

"Oh, is that so?"

The White Demon King responded casually, but his eyes continued to sweep across the room, finally stopping on the space beneath her bed. Under the bed, Tu Xiao’an’s entire body went rigid. He loathed this feeling of being at someone’s mercy, where discovery meant death.

The White Demon King slowly started walking toward the bed, but Su Rushi suddenly blocked his path. "Brother Bai, do you have any more of that fruit you gave me before?"

"You mean the Guiyuan Fruits? Have you already eaten all the ones I gave you?" the White Demon King continued. "Didn’t I tell you not to eat too many? That fruit has strong Energy, and your constitution is weak. Eating one occasionally is fine, but you absolutely must not eat too many. It will be counterproductive."

Su Rushi had been about to say her Xiaoleng ate them, but she was afraid Brother Bai would be upset and blame her for feeding such precious fruit to a snake. So, she made an excuse. "No, not at all! After Shi’Er ate them, my body felt much better. I have so much energy every day now."

"Oh... is that right?" The White Demon King studied Su Rushi closely. He saw that she had a rosy complexion, was glowing with health, and had even grown a little more beautiful. He couldn’t help but believe her and said happily, "It seems the Guiyuan Fruits are quite effective. Brother Bai came in a hurry today. When I get back, I’ll have someone send you some more."

"That’s wonderful! Thank you, Brother Bai!" Su Rushi’s smile was as bright as a spring day, momentarily dazing the White Demon King.

Just like that, the White Demon King’s attention was diverted. Under the bed, Tu Xiao’an secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

’I have to admit, this damned hedgehog is really good to Su Rushi,’ Tu Xiao’an could clearly see. He almost couldn’t believe that the man before him was the same White Demon King from Monkey Mountain—the one reeking of Demon Qi, so hell-bent on killing him it was as if he’d dug up the man’s ancestral graves.

Tu Xiao’an felt like he had just been on a roller coaster, experiencing the thrill of near-death. He was also grateful that his injuries were so severe, which had made his Snake Race aura extremely weak to begin with. Combined with his deliberate concealment, the White Demon King hadn’t noticed anything was amiss.

The White Demon King gazed dotingly at Su Rushi, the eyes of a great Demon King filled with a surprising tenderness. He then said, "Shi’Er, in seven days, it will be your birthday. And that day will also be our wedding day. Your health is getting better and better. I am so happy."

"Wedding?" Su Rushi’s happy expression suddenly faded. "Brother Bai, didn’t I tell you? I can’t marry you."

The White Demon King said, "Shi’Er, this matter is already settled. Don’t worry, Brother Bai will treat you well for the rest of his life."

’Hmph. The damned hedgehog wants to eat swan meat? In your dreams,’ Tu Xiao’an scoffed internally.

Hiding under the bed, Tu Xiao’an’s face was contorted in silent derision.

"No, Brother Bai. I know you’re good to me, and I can go along with you on anything else, but not this. Besides, my grandfather would never agree," Su Rushi said, shaking her head.

"Your grandfather has already agreed. On our wedding day, he will come to the Yaoling Mountain Range to attend our ceremony," the White Demon King explained with a smile.

Su Rushi looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. "Brother Bai, what are you saying? My grandfather agreed for me to marry you?" she asked in disbelief.

"If I want to marry you, of course I need his esteemed approval. Without your grandfather’s nod, how would I dare to rashly set a wedding date?"

"That’s impossible. How could my grandfather agree for me to marry you?"

Su Rushi shook her head frantically, her face turning deathly pale. She knew her grandfather’s temperament. How could he ever agree to her marrying a Demon?

A glint flashed in the White Demon King’s eyes as he continued in a gentle voice, "Shi’Er, is it because you look down on Brother Bai for being a Demon, and not a real human?"

"No, that’s not it! I don’t mind that you’re a Demon, Brother Bai. It’s just that my grandfather would never let me marry a Demon."

"Shi’Er, that’s where you’re mistaken. You mustn’t be fooled by those ’Strange Tales’ made up by you humans. A true Demon is equal to an Immortal—our status is noble, we are extraordinary and transcendent, a cut above the rest. Besides, if your grandfather despised me for being a Demon, why would he have sent you here to me in the first place? Right?"

The White Demon King’s words were logical and well-reasoned. Su Rushi, being rather naive, couldn’t help but start to believe him.

"Think about it yourself. How has Brother Bai treated you these past two years? Your grandfather knows my feelings for you, and that’s why he finally agreed."

Su Rushi was at a loss for words. "Brother Bai, I..."

"My dear Shi’Er, Brother Bai has prepared everything. All you have to do is wait peacefully for seven days, and then you’ll be my bride."

As he spoke, the White Demon King stroked Su Rushi’s smooth, dark hair.

’Bullshit!’ Tu Xiao’an almost wanted to charge out and expose the damned hedgehog’s lies. ’If that old man had agreed, then why would he have hired me to come to the Yaoling Mountain Range? To drink at his granddaughter’s wedding feast?’

It was obvious the White Demon King was just trying to coax the young woman and trick her into marrying him first, figuring he’d deal with the rest later.