Heavenly Law
Somehow, things had escalated to this point: a massive conference room was now filled with all kinds of ancient divine beasts.
Even Di Jiang had been dragged here by the nine-tailed fox, trembling in the midst of so many powerful high-ranking demons.
This kind of high-stakes summit would have knocked out any lesser demon from sheer pressure, but the auspicious beast in the center, currently being skewered by everyone’s piercing gazes, just lazily stretched as if nothing were wrong.
He was still in his original beast form, holding the cub close with an absolutely possessive posture. His big, fluffy tail swayed back and forth—until it was hugged tightly by someone.
Lu Congxing was a little dazed as he held the big white tail that had run into his arms. He sensed that the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs had called this meeting for something serious.
No wonder they’d managed to gather so many elusive ancient beings in such a short time.
His and He Zhouyan’s relationship announcement had just been a small side note.
The atmosphere was heavy—like the final drop of blood hanging from a blade, the tension stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.
Until a soft chuckle suddenly broke the silence.
Bai Ze narrowed his eyes. He wanted to flick his tail, but couldn’t bear to leave the cub’s embrace, so he just wiggled the tip instead. Then he opened his mouth and, in a human voice, said, “You’re scaring the kid.”
At those words, Taotie broke into a smile at Lu Congxing. His face already looked fierce to begin with, and smiling only made him more terrifying. But his words were surprisingly gentle and reassuring: “Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, we’re here. We won’t let the Heavenly Law take you.”
…The Heavenly Law?
Lu Congxing’s confused gaze sharpened, and the vague thread that had been eluding him suddenly began to come together.
The Deputy Director sighed. “We only confirmed it a few days ago. We’d been debating whether or not to tell you…”
After a vote, the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs’ higher-ups were split—half wanted to protect the cub by keeping it from him, while the other half believed he had a right to know. The deciding vote fell to He Zhouyan.
He chose the latter.
Lu Congxing clenched his fingers. He had long suspected that the chaos in the Southern Abyss was related to him, but he hadn’t imagined it would ultimately involve the Heavenly Law itself.
Could it really be that Heavenly Law?
The force that governs the world’s order, the flow of spiritual energy and fate itself?
Sensing the cub’s unease, all the powerful high-ranking demons grew flustered. The most hot-tempered among them, Baihu1, glared with wide eyes as his tail smacked against the ground with sharp cracks. He opened his mouth, and a strong northeastern accent burst out: “Don’t be scared, kid. That thing’s just a pathetic little punk.”
Xuanwu silently glanced at him.
Lu Congxing was still confused. Everything he’d learned told him the Heavenly Law was a kind of world consciousness. But from the way these ancient beings talked… it didn’t seem so.
He Zhouyan gently nudged the back of Lu Congxing’s neck with his nose and began to explain: “The Heavenly Law changes every thousand years. The current one is… incompetent.”
So the Heavenly Law has a term limit? Lu Congxing’s round apricot eyes grew even wider, perfectly matching the image of a young cub.
He was so shocked he didn’t immediately stop He Zhouyan’s increasingly bold behavior.
In front of all the high-ranking demons, the man pressed a spiritual energy mark into the back of Lu Congxing’s neck.
Baihu and Taotie were so furious they nearly grabbed their weapons again.
The two of them, unusually in sync, mentally repeated “We’ve got serious business to handle” ten times before finally sitting back down with grim faces.
Xing Tian nodded. As an ancient demon, he had witnessed several changes in the Heavenly Law.
But this time, something had gone wrong.
“Then why…” Lu Congxing couldn’t think of anything about himself that would attract the attention of the Heavenly Law.
Was it possible that the same physique that attracted evil also attracted the Heavenly Law?
The fortune tellers with “天” on their robes, the hidden manipulators behind them, the sudden voices in his head, the vague feeling of being controlled like a puppet—it all pointed to one source: the Heavenly Law.
He Zhouyan’s fluffy tail tip curled around the cub’s wrist. His vertical pupils were a cold, pale icy-blue, carrying an undeniable authority. “Because it’s time for the current Heavenly Law to be replaced. And you—you are the next Heavenly Law.”
A suffocating feeling rose from the depths of Lu Congxing’s chest.
“I’m the next Heavenly Law?” he asked, arms instinctively tightening around himself.
He Zhouyan remained unbothered as Lu Congxing gripped his tail tightly, treating Bai Ze’s tail like the final lifeline of a drowning man—hugging it as if he could fuse it into his own flesh and blood.
This sense of confusion was all too familiar. He had felt a similar emotion back when he was coming to terms with the fact that he wasn’t human, but a demon. At the time, he had been even younger—freshly abandoned by his father and filled with despair.
“No wonder my true form is made up of all kinds of small animals…” Lu Congxing murmured, a complex expression crossing his face.
He was the next Heavenly Law. Because of that, he had no definite physical form. Every living creature in the world could, in essence, become him.
That’s why he lacked a sense of belonging, and why he had no clear path forward.
What kind of existence was he, really? Even he couldn’t say for sure.
Sensing the cub’s shift in mood, He Zhouyan gently tapped his wrist with the tip of his tail.
It was such a subtle gesture, yet it carried a steady weight that pulled Lu Congxing back from his memories.
He looked down in a daze at the white, fluffy tail he had messed up in his distress and gently smoothed it, a hint of guilt in his touch.
Then he looked up at the demons gathered around him, all watching with concern. Feeling the warm presence in his arms, his eyes softened and curved into a smile.
No, it’s different now—completely different from back then. Without realizing it, so many had gathered by his side.
The cub had come to accept his new identity with ease, and the high-ranking demons let out a collective sigh of relief. They showered him with praise, speaking over each other like proud parents watching their child grow.
Their eyes were warm. “No matter what, you’ll always be our cub.”
The only one trembling was Di Jiang. He raised his hand, puzzled. “If Xing Cub is the next successor, then why is the Heavenly Law targeting him?”
It made no sense. The Heavenly Law had created numerous dangers around the cub—so subtle that even the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs hadn’t been able to detect them. If the Law hadn’t slipped up when extracting something from the Southern Abyss and left behind clues, the bureau would never have pinpointed the target so quickly.
Why would the Heavenly Law, which is usually emotionless and impartial, do something like this?
That question struck at the heart of the matter. As silence fell over the room, He Zhouyan shifted back into human form. He gently took the cub’s hand and placed a soft kiss on it, then said with conviction:
“Tomorrow, at midnight on Ghost Festival, when the Gates of the Underworld open, the Heavenly Law will undoubtedly cast its Eye of Heaven to monitor the balance between the ghost realm and the living world. When that happens, I’ll face it with you.”
Xuanfeng’s human form was that of a regal, high-heeled woman draped in a bright red fur coat. She tapped her heel against the floor and asked, “Can we come with you?”
She didn’t feel comfortable letting the cub face that chaotic Heavenly Law alone.
Just thinking about how much the cub had to endure at such a young age made her clutch her chest in distress. Then she parted her red lips and used elegant language to curse the Heavenly Law.
Her words echoed the sentiment of everyone present—all the demon turned to look at Lu Congxing with hopeful eyes.
This made Lu Congxing feel a pang of guilt at the worst possible moment. He suddenly felt like a scumbag abandoning a helpless little animal.
He Zhouyan had no such hang-ups. He shook his head firmly and said coldly, “No. When the Gate of the Underworld opens, only two beings from the living world can pass through the River of Yellow Springs at a time. You can only meet the Heavenly Eye by arriving at exactly the right moment. That Eye belongs to the Heavenly Law itself. If too many people go, it’ll just cause more problems. What if the gate gets flooded with too much spiritual energy and doesn’t open at all?”
Even though many of the demon wanted nothing more than to punch Bai Ze in the face, they had to admit his words carried weight. As a divine beast who understood all things, he knew more about the rules of the ghost realm than anyone else.
The demon all wanted to tear He Zhouyan to shreds and take his place—but once they actually considered their own strength compared to Bai Ze’s, their morale deflated fast.
What crushed them even more was the way the cub looked at He Zhouyan—not with the admiration they received, but with something much deeper and more intense: love.
The two of them looked at each other with such matching expressions, it was impossible to deny the feelings between them.
They could say no to anyone else, but they didn’t have the heart to disappoint the cub’s big, watery eyes.
Even the most critical of them—Taotie—could only grit his teeth in frustration, glaring silently after the meeting. He gave He Zhouyan a look like a disapproving father-in-law who found fault in everything.
After holding back for a long moment, all he managed to say was: “That tie you’re wearing is way too flashy. With taste like that, you’re totally unworthy of the cub.”
He then watched in disbelief as He Zhouyan, for once, curled his lips into a smirk—mocking and disdainful.
Alarm bells rang in Taotie’s head, but it was too late.
Sure enough, He Zhouyan followed up with: “This tie was picked out by my sweet cub.”
That possessive tone left no room for misunderstanding.
Taotie’s scalp tingled as he slowly turned to look at the innocent little cub beside them.
Lu Congxing blinked and asked quietly, “Is it really that ugly?”
Instantly, all eyes turned on Taotie with silent fury, making him feel like he was being executed by glances alone.
Xuanfeng quickly jumped in to reassure him, “No, no! It’s lovely—great taste!”
Zhu Yin didn’t hold back either: “What would Taotie know about fashion? If he says it’s ugly, then it’s definitely stylish.”
That little moment of chaos completely swept away Lu Congxing’s lingering anxiety. He couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, and his spiritual energy relaxed like a stretching cat—clean and comforting, putting everyone at ease.
Taotie, finding comfort in his suffering, thought to himself: Well, at least getting roasted was worth it.
Author’s note:
Final chapter’s up next! It’ll be a long and satisfying one!
- 白虎 (Báihǔ) or White Tiger
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