Chapter 2

I slept deeply that night.

Maybe he wasn't used to sharing his territory, because he stayed coiled around me the whole night without sleeping, which meant I didn't rest well either.

In that half-waking state, he told me to remember his name. Silas.

By the time daylight seeped into the cave and I opened my eyes, he was already gone.

I looked down and found a mark on my wrist.

It struck me then that taking in a spirit pet was supposed to leave a mark.

So did that mean he had bonded to me as his master?

When I came back to the gate of the Demon Sword Sect, the hound demon was still crouched there.

My legs went weak, and I nearly couldn't stay standing.

But I had spent all that time with Silas, so surely some of the demon scent had rubbed off on me?

There was nothing to do but grit my teeth and edge forward.

The hound demon came up and sniffed me, and didn't bark.

Not only did it not bark, it sat down on its haunches and wagged its tail as happily as could be.

The demons standing nearby were dumbstruck, murmuring among themselves. 【How strange. This hound demon usually looks down its nose at everyone. The only one it's ever wagged its tail for is the Demon Lord.】

Delighted, I strode boldly into the Demon Sword Sect.

But the moment I was inside, they told me that anyone who wanted to join the Demon Sword Sect first had to pass the touchstone.

Each demon pressed a hand to the touchstone, and the brighter the light it gave off, the higher one's cultivation.

I panicked at once.

I wasn't like my senior siblings. They had properly taken a master and entered the sect.

I was just an abandoned infant left at the foot of the mountain, who happened to be picked up and raised by Master.

As for cultivation, I was only a hair stronger than an ordinary mortal.

I had gone to all this trouble to find a fine demon like Silas and finally sneaked into the sect. I couldn't get stuck here now, could I?

At last it was my turn.

Head hanging, thoroughly discouraged, I laid my hand on the touchstone.

The next instant the touchstone erupted with a blinding golden light, so bright that even in broad daylight I couldn't keep my eyes open.

The Sect Head kept praising me to the fox clan elder. 【I never imagined the fox clan was hiding a genius of such extraordinary talent!】

I was nearly out of my mind with joy.

Thinking it over and over, I decided it had to be because of the night I'd spent with Silas that I'd become this powerful.

Whatever it took, I was going to swallow my pride and go stay the night with him again.

No. Every single day I was in the Demon Realm, I was going to sleep beside him!

Then I could go home carrying all that cultivation and help my senior siblings restore the Spirit Sword Sect. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

I came down off the trial platform and quietly slipped into the crowd of the fox clan, and sure enough I found the fox sister who had helped me the day before.

I wanted to beg her for more fox powder.

When she pressed me hard about it, I had no choice but to whimper out the truth.

【Sister, I went and dual cultivated yesterday. Only my partner wasn't very willing.】

She looked shocked, took my face in her hands and studied it, then frowned.

【That shouldn't happen. This is the demons' mating season right now.】

【And besides, with a face as pretty as yours, could that dog of a man have gone blind?】

Seeing me all hangdog and spineless, shamelessly holding out my hand for more powder, she gave my backside an exasperated smack.

【You little fool. Only the most useless foxes get by on fox powder!】

I drooped my head, thoroughly stumped.

Having no way to deal with me, she just followed me back to the room the Demon Sword Sect had assigned me, sighed, and said,

【Our fox clan relies on seduction arts. Today I'll teach you properly.】

So she taught me the whole day, teaching me how to face a beast mate and pull the very soul right out of him.

But when I copied what she'd taught and struck a few coy, alluring poses at her,

her face only grew darker.

Before she left, she said nothing, just shoved a big packet of fox powder into my hands and told me,

【Never mind. Come find me for more when you run out.】

I didn't understand what she meant, and went back to the cave full of hope, only to find a dark figure already waiting inside.

The moment those jade-green eyes lifted, I knew it was Silas.

Truly worthy of being the mate I'd chosen. He really was good-looking!

And I hadn't expected his cultivation to be so high.

Seeing me come in, a flicker of alarm crossed his face.

My chest tightened too, terrified that the first thing out of his mouth would be to send me away.

So I quickly did as the fox sister had taught me, tugging my collar open to bare half a shoulder, sticking out my backside and swaying it side to side as I sashayed toward him.

And in my most seductive voice I called out,

【Big brother, were you waiting for me~】

He was silent for two seconds, then leaned in with concern.

【Are you not feeling well? Did you... get a cramp?】