Chapter 105 – The Little Snow Ferret No Longer Ran Away (06)
Given Little Snow Ferret’s serious attitude toward learning, Xiao Bobao didn’t notice that Bai Mo had fallen silent. However, Jianmu seemed to sense something amiss. He gently squeezed the boy’s palm and asked in a warm voice, “What’s wrong?”
Bai Mo shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
He didn’t know how to explain it. It wasn’t intentional, but the series of events had all started because of him.
Jianmu reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, comforting him. “Don’t overthink it. Some things are destined to happen. Even if you had avoided it this time, what’s meant to be will still come to pass.”
“It’s all in the past. Don’t blame yourself, okay?” Jianmu didn’t know exactly what was weighing on Bai Mo’s mind, but from his understanding of the boy, showing such an expression could only mean he was feeling guilty about something.
“Mhm~” Bai Mo responded. It was unclear if he had truly been comforted, but a smile returned to his face.
The Northern Forest was vast and not something that could be explored in just a short while. Bai Mo followed Jianmu and, as he had hoped, finally met the Northern Emperor’s consort—Bai Tang, the one he had once mistaken for a romantic rival.
Though Bai Tang was the esteemed consort of the Northern Emperor, he wasn’t one to adhere strictly to traditions. In fact, he had little patience for formalities. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he eagerly pulled Bai Mo outside to play.
The forest was enormous. In their original forms, the two little creatures dashed through the woods, playing and laughing. They quickly grew familiar with each other. Along the way, Bai Mo even fulfilled his initial plan—listening to countless legendary stories about Jianmu.
With the arrival of the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree, the topic of the day among the little spirit creatures of the Northern Forest was none other than Jianmu. They gushed over everything from his awe-inspiring presence that day to ancient myths of his past. Their words were filled with admiration and reverence for the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree.
As they wandered aimlessly, the two eventually reached the edge of the Northern Abyss. Looking down, all they could see was an endless, pitch-black chasm, like the gaping maw of a beast waiting for its prey to fall in.
Bai Tang assumed Bai Mo was afraid and reassuringly patted the back of his hand. “Don’t be scared. There’s nothing down there. The location where the demonic creatures are sealed isn’t directly beneath us—it’s off to the side. What’s down there is just a frozen prison. There’s no real danger, but the Netherworld’s cold energy is incredibly strong. If you stay too long, you’ll start hallucinating, and it could damage your spiritual veins.”
In the past, Bai Tang had jumped down himself in order to bring Little Misfortune God back to the Divine Realm, so he knew the area well.
When Little Snow Ferret had been forced to leave home, he had been too young to remember many things clearly. But hearing Bai Tang’s words now only made him more homesick.
“Consort, tell me… if I go down from here, could I enter the Netherworld?” Bai Mo asked.
While the Netherworld’s cold energy might harm others, it had no effect on him. If there was a shortcut that could take him home to visit the elders, that would be wonderful.
Hearing this, Bai Tang furrowed his brows. He had never truly entered the Netherworld himself. He only knew that below lay a dungeon, with a cold pond beside it.
“I’ve heard from A’Wu that this dungeon used to be one of the Netherworld’s prisons, where they held criminals guilty of lesser offenses. Later, because it was too close to the area sealing the demonic creatures, they severed the passage between the Netherworld and the dungeon.”
“So… it shouldn’t be connected anymore, right?” Bai Tang was uncertain. Logically, there shouldn’t be a way to enter the Netherworld from here. Otherwise, wouldn’t that mean the demonic creatures could have easily escaped?
Bai Mo thought about it and realized that made sense. If there had been another way, the elders wouldn’t have needed to risk everything to open the barrier and send him out—they could have just taken this route.
“Don’t worry,” Little Squirrel reassured him. “A’Wu and the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree are already working on a way to unlock the barrier to the Netherworld. As long as they find a new place to relocate the four demonic creatures, everything will be fine. It’s only a matter of time.”
With his natural ability to soothe others, Little Squirrel’s words carried a special kind of reassurance.
Thinking of how his beloved had been exhausting himself over this matter—so much so that he had even lost weight—Little Snow Ferret felt a pang of guilt. Jianmu must have noticed how desperately he wanted to go home, which was why he had been pushing himself so hard. Bai Mo shouldn’t have kept bringing it up. Saying it too often only added pressure.
“I’m not worried. I’ve waited this long; waiting another day or two won’t make a difference. As long as it’s safe, that’s what matters.”
The four demonic creatures couldn’t be released—if they escaped, there was no guarantee they could be recaptured. Taking things slowly wasn’t an issue; what mattered was preventing the destruction of the Six Realms. That would be the real disaster.
Noticing Bai Mo’s slightly low spirits, Bai Tang changed the subject. “Mo Mo, let me introduce you to a new friend. You haven’t met Su Su yet, have you? Su Su is the last cat-fox in the Six Realms, and absolutely stunning.”
Xiao Bobao had only told Bai Mo about the Northern Emperor and Consort’s story, glossing over Little Cat-Fox’s experiences. But of all of them, the one he admired most was Little Cat-Fox. Despite having only a few hundred years of cultivation, Little Cat-Fox had stormed the Heavenly Palace, descended back to the mortal realm, and fought desperately to bring back the Demon Lord he loved.
A mere cat-fox cub, who should have been the one protected, had instead risked everything to shelter the Demon Lord. Truly remarkable.
Bai Mo blinked, his snow-white tail swishing behind him. “You mean the Demon Consort of the Demonic Realm? Is the Consort visiting the Northern Forest today?”
He had heard that the Consort and the Demon Consort were close friends, and that their bond had played a significant role in maintaining peace between the Divine and Demonic Realms.
“If you don’t mind traveling a bit farther, we could sneak off to the Demonic Realm for a visit,” Little Squirrel suggested casually, not even blinking as he attempted to lead the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree’s spouse astray.
With the Six Realms currently at peace, there was little danger outside. And even if there were, with his abilities, protecting both himself and Mo Mo wouldn’t be a problem.
“Alright, alright!” Little Snow Ferret loved going out more than anything. Little Squirrel was also feeling cooped up in the Northern Forest. Since he had hit it off with Mo Mo, he was eager to introduce him to Su Su as well. If Mo Mo and he got along so well, then surely Su Su and Mo Mo would too.
The two fluffballs immediately agreed and took off without waiting for permission, sending a bird messenger to inform the Northern Emperor and the Heaven-Piercing Divine Tree only after they had already left.
By the time the two received the message, the little ones were already halfway there—leaving them both exasperated yet amused.
Even if they had asked beforehand, what difference would it have made? Were they supposed to stop them?
Meanwhile, Qiu’er, who was sulking because Tang Tang had snuck off without taking him along, grumbled, “Tang Tang ran off again! It’s all Master’s fault. If Master spent more time with Tang Tang, he wouldn’t have snuck away without me.”
Qiu’er continued his ranting, while Xiao Bobao let out a dramatic sigh. If Consort left without taking her along, fine—but why did Mo Mo leave her behind too?
Qiu’er & Xiao Bobao: “Sigh~”
“Shu Shu went to the West with the Fallen Angel for a family visit. Once the barrier issue is settled, we can plan a trip with Su Su to the Western Realms too!” Bai Tang was always fascinated by new places, and Mo Mo was no different. Just hearing about the Western Realms made his eyes light up with excitement.
The Demonic Realm guards all recognized Bai Tang and knew that he was both an esteemed guest of the Demon Lord and a friend of the Demon Consort. Naturally, they didn’t stop him. The two walked straight into the Demon Palace without hindrance.
Inside, a small cat-fox pricked up his ears at Bai Tang’s voice and rushed to go greet him—only to be promptly held back by a stern-looking attendant.
“Consort, you are carrying twins now. You need to be extra careful,” the attendant scolded, sighing in frustration. Demon Consort was far too restless. When the pregnancy was first confirmed, he had obediently followed the doctor’s advice and rested. But once the danger period had passed, the moment Demon Lord wasn’t around, he immediately started itching to run around again. If anything happened to him, the Demon Lord would undoubtedly tear them apart.
“I’m only standing at the door. I’m not even leaving the Demonic Realm—it’s fine,” Little Cat-Fox tried to reason.
Just as they were arguing back and forth, Tang Tang walked in with Mo Mo.
The first thing they saw was Little Cat-Fox lying pitifully on the couch, looking wronged, while the stern-faced attendant beside him furrowed his brows so tightly he could crush a mosquito between them.
“What’s wrong, Su Su? Did he bully you?” Bai Tang strode forward, pushing the attendant aside and standing protectively in front of Bai Chuansu.
Even though Su Su was now the esteemed Demon Consort, that didn’t mean there weren’t people who secretly resented him and wanted to push him around. Most demons used to look down on the demon beast race, and Su Su just happened to be one of them.
“I’m fine. I was just lying down for too long and wanted to get up and move around, but…”
Before Little Cat-Fox could finish his sentence, Bai Tang was already fuming. What the hell? They were actually restricting Su Su’s freedom?!
“Lou Shun isn’t handling this? If he won’t, I will! Su Su, I’m taking you with me.” Bai Tang snatched a cloak from the bed, fastened it around Bai Chuansu’s shoulders, and was ready to whisk him away to the Northern Forest. “Mo Mo, help me grab the mirror on the table.”
That mirror was the Mortal Dust Mirror, which Bai Chuansu had stolen from Lao Jun back in the day. It originally belonged to the Divine Realm, but it had followed Su Su ever since. If Su Su wasn’t being treated well in the Demonic Realm, then Bai Tang had every intention of taking him away—and the mirror was coming too. No way was he leaving it behind for the demons to benefit from.
“Tang Tang, it’s not what you think…” Bai Chuansu tried to explain, but before he could, Bai Mo—who had been fed countless dramatic and tragic stories by Xiao Bobao—interrupted him.
“You’re pouring your heart out for him, yet his own servants are restricting your freedom. What’s the point of staying? Are you waiting for the day when someone new comes in, so you can cry your eyes out from dusk till dawn?” Bai Mo’s tone was full of exasperation, as if he couldn’t bear to see Su Su being so naïve.
Thanks to Xiao Bobao’s influence, Bai Mo had unknowingly consumed a fair share of tragic love stories—substitute lovers, heartbreak, cannon fodder fates, you name it. The sight of Su Su, looking so fragile and pitiful, fit the mold all too well.
“Your Highness, you misunderstand! I am not imprisoning the Demon Consort, it’s just that he—”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear your excuses.” Bai Tang snapped, casting a silencing spell on the attendant. Su Su had always been in good health, so why was he suddenly too weak to get out of bed? There was definitely something suspicious going on.
As for why Little Cat-Fox hadn’t told Bai Tang about his pregnancy, there was a reason. It was a long-standing tradition in the Demonic Realm—every Demon Consort who conceived had to keep it a secret until after giving birth. This was to prevent enemies from targeting them and harming the unborn child.
The attendant, afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stop the Northern Emperor’s Consort, quickly sent a signal to his comrades, notifying the Demon Lord to return.
Little Cat-Fox desperately wanted to explain, but just as he was about to speak, the child in his belly gave a strong, forceful kick. The sudden pain made him cry out, clutching his slightly rounded stomach to regain his composure.
Since Bai Chuansu was wearing loose clothing, neither Bai Tang nor Bai Mo had noticed that his abdomen wasn’t completely flat. Now, with the cloak draped over him, it was even harder to tell.
Both the Little Squirrel and the Little Snow Ferret were formidable fighters—one supported Bai Chuansu, while the other led the way. Anyone who dared to block them was simply knocked aside.
The demon soldiers were completely baffled by the situation. Seeing the Demon Consort being taken away right under their noses, and with the Consort of the Northern Emperor resorting to violence without a word, they were at a loss. If they actually let him succeed, the Demon Lord would surely kill them all.