Chapter 102 – The Little Snow Ferret No Longer Ran Away (03)
Xiao Bobao was feeling depressed. No matter where she went, she was forced to witness public displays of affection. In the Northern Forest, there was the Northern Emperor and the Queen Consort. In Kyushu, there was the Divine Tree and Momo. In the divine realm, there was the Main God and Lord A. Life was just too cruel—and she was the only single panda left. But she didn’t dare complain. She could only silently wait as Jianmu finished coaxing his Little Snow Mink.
Bai Mo was never the type to sit still. The center of Kyushu was utterly boring—there was nothing there except for him and Jianmu. So, with Xiao Bobao’s sudden appearance, he finally had some entertainment.
“Xiao Bobao, you’re from the Divine Realm, right? Tell me about the Night God~” His eyes sparkled with curiosity. But the one being questioned felt immense pressure.
Because… how was she supposed to answer—while under the deadly gaze of the Divine Tree?
A lover openly showing interest in another man right in front of his significant other?
That was unacceptable no matter the situation. Yet Bai Mo, completely oblivious, even tried to pull Jianmu into the conversation with him.
Xiao Bobao forced a stiff “hehe” and glanced at Jianmu’s face. Oh no. Mo Mo, please stop. Your husband is about to turn dark.
“Little ferret, be good. Xiao Bobao must have gone through a lot to pass through the barrier. She probably has something important to tell us.” Jianmu gently stroked Bai Mo’s soft white fur.
The little ferret immediately relaxed, closing his eyes in bliss. Then, he nodded obediently. “Brother Jianmu important matters come first!”
“Haha… actually, it’s not that serious—” Xiao Bobaoinstinctively switched topics the moment she saw Jianmu’s gaze.
“The Northern Emperor sent me to check on the Divine Tree’s progress in refining his divine body. The Underworld Realm’s seal has loosened quite a bit… but the inner city is still inaccessible. However, there is a way in—from the northern chasm of the Northern Forest—but it’s extremely dangerous…” She didn’t even know what she was saying anymore.
But seeing Bai Mo’s serious expression and Jianmu’s calm demeanor as he continued petting, she knew—she had successfully changed the subject.
Bai Mo had never left the Underworld Realm through the main city gates.
Instead, the elders had forcibly opened a shortcut for just a quarter of an hour—just enough time to push him out before it closed.
Even then, he had wandered aimlessly, following his instincts until he finally found Jianmu. If there was anything that still troubled him, it was—what happened back home? Were the elders safe? What was the situation inside the Underworld’s inner city now?
Xiao Bobao could describe the outer edges of the Underworld Realm and the situation with the four great demonic beasts, but when it came to what was happening inside, she was completely clueless.
First, she had never been down there. She could roam around the Northern Forest or even other parts of the Divine Realm, but the Queen Consort and Qiu’er had strictly forbidden him from going near the northern chasm.
Second, much of the information about the Underworld Realm was classified—beyond her clearance.
Even though what she shared wasn’t particularly valuable, Bai Mo still listened intently. After all, that was his home.
Jianmu gently squeezed the little snow ferret’s paw pad before placing him inside a cozy tree hollow to chat with Xiao Bobao.
“Be good, Little ferret. I’ll take you home soon,” he said, his voice as soft as a breeze.
“Mm-hmm! Brother Jianmu, go ahead and refine your divine body. I won’t run around~” The little snow ferret lay comfortably on the soft bedding, his white fur blending seamlessly with the nest. Only his two bright, black eyes peeked out, lively and expressive.
Jianmu usually waited until nightfall—after Bai Mo had fallen asleep—before beginning his cultivation. But now, Bai Mo’s longing for home had been stirred, and his eyes lit up at the mere mention of the Underworld Realm. Since it was Bai Mo’s wish, Jianmu would make it come true.
Xiao Bobao understood Bai Mo well—he was energetic and restless, never able to sit still for long. But there was one thing that could keep him quiet—reading. Give him books filled with knowledge he hadn’t encountered before, and he’d sit obediently for hours.
After returning to Kyushu, Bai Mo had truly come to appreciate the value of learning. The Underworld Realm had been isolated from the outside world for far too long, completely out of sync with modern developments.
When he returned, he was determined to push for progress and reconstruction. Knowledge was too important. If the Northern Emperor didn’t mind, he even wanted to borrow Xiao Bobao’s help.
In the past, Bai Mo had mainly studied interpersonal skills and self-cultivation. But thinking about his future role as the ruler of the Underworld Realm, Xiao Bobao realized that being well-mannered wasn’t enough—he needed to know how to govern.
So, she spent a long time searching through the library, gathering books on management, psychology, and leadership, from beginner to advanced levels. Bai Mo had to learn thoroughly—he couldn’t afford to let others underestimate him.
…
Xiao Bobao had never managed anything before. She had only theoretical knowledge with no practical experience—one dared to teach, and the other dared to learn. Who knew what the final outcome of this teaching would be?
Back in the Divine Realm, Immortal Lord Hanyue was holding a pile of spirit stones, practically drooling over them, but he could only look and not touch. Ever since Night God exposed his intentions, deities had been coming to him daily, asking if he had come up with a solution. With so many eyes watching him, he dared not make any moves.
As everyone struggled for a solution, someone suggested seeking help from Northern Emperor Immortal Lord. He would surely have a way to transport the spirit stones into the Kyushu barrier.
Privately, Immortal Lord Hanyue was extremely reluctant to ask for the Northern Emperor’s help. As a manager of the Divine Realm, wouldn’t seeking assistance mean admitting his own incompetence? He believed that he was only less experienced in the Divine Realm, but in terms of capability, he didn’t think he was inferior to the other High Gods.
“The Northern Emperor Immortal Lord is busy. If we suddenly disturb him, wouldn’t we be interfering with his important affairs? That would be inappropriate…” Hanyue found an excuse.
But rejecting every suggestion over and over again only annoyed the other High Gods.
“In that case, Immortal Lord Hanyue, please come up with a solution quickly,” someone said.
Night God’s words were right—Hanyue might never have intended to send the spirit stones into Kyushu at all. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he ask the Northern Emperor for help? If the Northern Emperor intervened, he certainly wouldn’t be wasting time like Hanyue, accomplishing nothing.
What Hanyue didn’t realize was that the more he tried to avoid giving the gods a certain impression, the more they saw him as insincere—nothing compared to the broad-mindedness of the Northern Emperor.
The internal strife of the Divine Realm had become daily entertainment for Bai Mo and Jianmu, who would gather in front of the Water Mirror to watch gossip unfold whenever they were bored. There was no helping it—life was just too dull. Watching other people make fools of themselves was the only way to pass the time.
Bai Mo also found Immortal Lord Hanyue hypocritical. If he didn’t want to give the spirit stones, then just don’t—why beat around the bush? It wasn’t as if he and Jianmu lacked a few spirit stones. Xiao Bobao replenished their supply every three days, making Bai Mo increasingly curious about the Northern Emperor Immortal Lord and the Queen Consort that Xiao Bobao often spoke about.
“That’s right. The Queen Consort’s original form is a squirrel—small and adorable. Back then, the Northern Emperor went through so much trouble just to find him…”
The moment the topic shifted to the love story of the Northern Emperor and the Queen Consort, Xiao Bobao was suddenly wide awake. After all, she was born from that very story—without it, there would be no Lord God, and without the Lord God, there would be no her.
Before Bai Mo descended to the mortal world, he had met the Queen Consort once. Back then, during the great war between the Eastern and Western deities and demons, Jianmu had entrusted the Queen Consort with taking the little snow ferret away before his self-destruction.
Now that Jianmu mentioned it, Bai Mo seemed to recall a faint memory. He vaguely remembered that the one who had come for him at the time was a small, adorable… squirrel. He was powerful and just happened to match Jianmu’s preferred type. Jianmu had even scolded him back then, which made him sulk for quite some time.
So that was the Northern Emperor’s Queen Consort all along! A squirrel who already had a mate. If he had known this sooner, he wouldn’t have thrown such a tantrum at Jianmu.
Xiao Bobao, oblivious to Bai Mo’s thoughts, continued narrating everything she had witnessed about the Northern Emperor’s love story. The more Bai Mo listened, the more ashamed he felt. The Northern Emperor and his Queen Consort had been through so much together—their bond was incredibly deep. Looking back, that past misunderstanding had truly been a huge blunder on his part.
Jianmu, sitting beside them, gently massaged the little snow ferret’s round belly, which was stuffed full from overeating. He only chuckled, choosing not to comment. Just because someone had gone through many hardships didn’t necessarily mean it was a good thing—it only meant they had endured more suffering. He would never let his little ferret experience such hardships. The depth of their love had nothing to do with how much suffering they had endured; he and Bai Mo had known each other for a thousand years, and he was confident their bond was no less than any other lovers’.
“Drink some water, little ferret.” Jianmu brought over a cup of tea brewed from morning dew and held it to the snow mink’s lips. A tiny pink tongue quickly curled around the water droplets, and as Bai Mo lowered his head, his two fluffy, pointed ears drooped slightly.
The sight made Jianmu’s fingers itch with the urge to touch them. He couldn’t resist reaching out, gently pinching the little pointed ears with two fingers, rubbing them slightly. Bai Mo immediately burst into giggles, his round, snow-white body wriggling in Jianmu’s arms as he tried to escape the “attack.”
Suddenly fed a mouthful of “dog food,” Xiao Bobao was left speechless: “…”
Ugh~ You guys are bullying a poor little panda.
Days passed by—some spent in joy, some in suffering, and others in deep contemplation—until the barrier over the Central Region of Kyushu was finally lifted by Jianmu, allowing life to flourish there once again.
Meanwhile, Immortal Lord Hanyue, too prideful to lower himself, had still not sent out the spirit stones he had accumulated. By the time he heard that the Northern Emperor had visited the World Tree, he hastily arranged for the spirit stones to be delivered, only to find that Jianmu no longer needed them.
With a serene and almost compassionate smile on his strikingly handsome face, Jianmu politely but somewhat awkwardly declined Hanyue’s gesture.
“Immortal Lord Hanyue, you are too kind. I have no need for these.”
Since Jianmu refused to accept them, Hanyue had no way to insist. Worse still, the Northern Emperor had not yet left when he arrived, forcing him to sit in a subordinate position below the emperor.
Listening to the conversation between Jianmu and the Northern Emperor, he found himself completely unable to interject. Even when he barely managed to squeeze in a word, their conversation would quickly shift to a level he couldn’t follow. To say the situation was awkward would be an understatement.
“The inner city of the Netherworld is heavily shrouded in Yin energy, untouched by sunlight. External forces must be used in coordination with internal efforts to break the seal.”
“Additionally, caution must be taken with the Four Great Demonic Beasts—the formation suppressing them has grown old, and its effectiveness may have greatly diminished.”
“I have contemplated this for a long time and have devised a possible solution. Wàng Wú, see if this method is worth a try.”
At first, Hanyue could more or less follow their discussion, but as they delved deeper into ancient secret techniques and hidden mysteries, he quickly lost track. Yet, unwilling to waste this rare opportunity to assert his presence, he stubbornly tried to keep up.
The more he struggled to insert himself into the conversation, the more resentment grew within him—not just toward the Northern Emperor, but even toward Jianmu.
The Northern Emperor clearly knew he was the current administrator of the divine realm, yet he never included him in discussions about the Netherworld, never told him anything.
It was obvious—he feared that Hanyue would steal the spotlight! Hypocrite! He claimed he wouldn’t interfere with ruling the divine realm, yet why was it that Hanyue, the supposed administrator, knew nothing about such crucial matters?
And Jianmu? Arrogant beyond words. Yes, Hanyue’s experience might be shallow, but he had still made a special trip here out of respect. Yet, Jianmu didn’t even bother to show him the slightest courtesy. Absolutely infuriating.