Demoness's Art of Vengeance

Shao Sirong finally realized a serious sit-down chat with Jun Xiaomo was imperative. At the very least, she would have to clarify what this “fiancée” relationship alleged by her son exactly meant. For now, she had managed to glean that her son’s affection towards Jun Xiaomo was largely unrequited – at least not on a human-to-human level.

Old man Chi and Chi Hongyi had the same thoughts as well. They strongly suspected that their great grandson and son respectively had been acting obsequiously as a pet this entire time, and this made the veins on their forehead bulge and twitch uncontrollably.

He has truly turned himself into a laughingstock…

Just then, Ye Xiuwen returned from his hunt. He carried the bloodied carcass of an animal that he had just killed. As usual, he had killed it cleanly and incisively with one single strike to its throat.

Ye Xiuwen had hurried back from his hunt because he was afraid that Jun Xiaomo’s thoughts would run wild or she might do something stupid if she were left alone for too long.

As for the other person…the first prince was still lying unconscious on the ground, and he wasn’t going to be of much help to Jun Xiaomo for now.

Ye Xiuwen noticed from a distance that there were three uninvited guests standing in front of Jun Xiaomo. Each of their stance and posture told Ye Xiuwen that they were presently squaring off in confrontation with each other.

“Xiaomo!” Ye Xiuwen could hardly care less about the fruits of his hunt any longer. He tossed the animal carcass aside, heightened his senses and immediately rushed over to stand guard in front of Jun Xiaomo.

Jun Xiaomo only noticed a flash flicker past her eyes, and a figure appeared in front of her eyes in the next moment. It was Ye Xiuwen.

A warm sensation swelled up from the depths of Jun Xiaomo’s heart when she saw Ye Xiuwen’s tall, lanky figure standing guard in front of her. Nevertheless, she tugged gently at Ye Xiuwen’s sleeves and tiptoed as she whispered to Ye Xiuwen, “Martial brother, don’t worry, they’re not bad guys. They were the ones who had just rescued my little packrat.”

“Your little packrat?” It was only at this moment that Ye Xiuwen noticed how the female cultivator was holding a plump, round ball of fluff in her hands – who else could it be other than the little packrat?

Jun Xiaomo continued to explain, “They seem to be little Packie’s previous owner, and they’re already well acquainted with little Packie.”

Although Jun Xiaomo was whispering right now, how could Shao Sirong and the rest not pick up what she was saying given their keen senses that accompanied their incredible cultivation levels?

“Little Packie” this, “previous owner” that…these three distinguished guests could hardly contain their unsightly expressions anymore.

In fact, the three of them were at a complete loss as to how they should deal with the fact that their child had become nothing more than a little pet.

Even then, Ye Xiuwen hardly noticed the complications in the hearts of the three distinguished guests. He sheathed his sword again as he apologetically made a palm and fist salute to the three guests, “I didn’t know these seniors were the ones who had saved little Packie. I have been rude and offensive earlier. Please forgive me.”

Ye Xiuwen’s words were polite and sincere. Thus, Shao Sirong and the rest chose to let the matter go for now.

However –

“Your name is Xiaomo, right?” Shao Sirong softened her tone as she asked Jun Xiaomo warmly, “I wonder if we can sit down and have a chat together?”

Given Shao Sirong and Jun Xiaomo’s respective statures, a senior was essentially making a request of a junior. There was no reason for Jun Xiaomo to refuse.

Thus, moments later, they sat on chairs around a round table provided by Shao Sirong. There was even a tea set prepared on the table.

Then, Shao Sirong respectfully served everyone around the table a cup of tea. The wafts of fragrance from the tea cut through the musky smell of soil in the forest, refreshing their senses and soothing their minds.

If one ignored their surroundings right now, the atmosphere created by the diffuse scent of exquisite tea was almost akin to a cordial and pleasant reunion between bosom friends.

Shao Sirong set the little packrat down on top of the table. Once Shao Sirong let go of it, the little packrat immediately slipped over to Jun Xiaomo’s hand and began to rub its head against Jun Xiaomo’s fingers. It was incredibly affectionate.

Jun Xiaomo chuckled lightly, lifted her fingers and began to comb through the little packrat’s slightly disheveled fur.

Ever since that incident where the little packrat had saved her life, Jun Xiaomo had resolved in her heart that she was going to treat her little packrat much better.

The gentle strokes and constant tempo of Jun Xiaomo’s fingers running through the little packrat’s fur was incredibly comfortable to the little packrat. It even trembled and shuddered slightly in pleasure.

The little packrat closed its eye as it let out two squeaks of joy. It flopped down and lay silently beside Jun Xiaomo’s hand, and it even swished its tail about in bliss from time to time.

While this entire scene was incredibly heartwarming, Shao Sirong could only rub her temples as she sighed.

No matter how I look at it, my son seems to have grown more and more like…a little packrat. A little packrat, through and through…

Old man Chi noticed his great grandson’s behaviour as well, and he let out two uncomfortable, dry coughs as he tried to contain his emotions. At the same time, Chi Hongyi simply glared at his son with a disapproving look.

They had sat around the table for some time now, yet the three seniors had remained taciturn as they observed Jun Xiaomo and her interaction with the little packrat. Their peculiar behaviour piqued Jun Xiaomo’s curiosity.

“I wonder if these seniors could enlighten this junior on what they wish to discuss about?” Jun Xiaomo sought to draw their attention back to the reason they had sat down to begin with.

Shao Sirong cast a complicated look at Jun Xiaomo, before asking enigmatically, “What is…he…to you?”

Shao Sirong pointed straight at the little packrat under Jun Xiaomo’s fingers.

Shao Sirong would naturally have referred to the little packrat as her son. But from what she could see, Jun Xiaomo was not even aware that the little packrat was a human.

Therefore, she chose to ask her question in a slightly more enigmatic manner.

Jun Xiaomo froze for a moment, before she replied naturally, “It’s my dear little pet…”

Shao Sirong: ……

As expected, she had treated my son as nothing more than a little pet. Jun Xiaomo’s confirmation of her suspicions intensified the complicated feelings pressing on her heart.

However, Jun Xiaomo noticed that Shao Sirong did not seem too pleased with her response. Therefore, she thought for a moment before adding, “In fact, I treat it as a friend. Even though it’s a pet, I’ve always treated it as a dear friend and companion by my side.”

This was because she knew that her little packrat was incredibly spiritually aware. Therefore, there was no way that Jun Xiaomo could only treat it purely as though it were a pet.

Shao Sirong: ……

No matter what she said, my son is still nothing more than a pet to her. How am I going to reveal the truth about my son to her?

It was a more than difficult conundrum.

That said, it was old man Chi who could no longer stand idly by and bear with the situation any longer. Quite apart from the fact that Jun Xiaomo did not fancy his great grandson, she had even treated his great grandson as nothing more than a pet – what insolence!

Thus, old man Chi snorted as he boomed with indignation, “Since when has my dear great grandson become your pet?! Girl, you must be blind!”

This time, it was Jun Xiaomo’s turn to stiffened up in shock.

And it was not just on her expressions – she had even paused midway whilst stroking her little packrat.

“Haa--…haa?! Little…little packrat is…is your…great grandson?” Jun Xiaomo stammered as her eyes widened with disbelief.

Old man Chi snorted again as he tacitly responded in the affirmative.

Then, Chi Hongyi who had been silent all this while finally spoke up as he calmly explicated, “That little fella beside your hand is our child. Some time ago, he secretly ran away from our sect in an attempt to prove his capabilities to us. Then, on his journey, he inadvertently consumed a Shapeshifting Fruit and became like this.”

Jun Xiaomo: ……

As it turns out, the creature that she had been toting around in her bosom was not purely a little packrat, but a person that had only transformed into a little packrat because he had consumed a Shapeshifting Fruit?!

“If I may ask, how old is your son now?” Ye Xiuwen queried politely as he glanced over at the little packrat and squinted his eyes.

“Seventeen years-old.” Chi Hongyi sighed as he replied.

He sincerely felt that a seventeen years-old child that was still causing so much trouble was truly a disgrace to him.

Chi Hongyi had expected Ye Xiuwen to exclaim and decry how incredulous it was that a young man in his teens would do something so rash and immature. Unexpectedly, Ye Xiuwen’s hand flickered quickly. Before the rest could react, he had already picked up the little packrat under Jun Xiaomo’s hand and tossed it straight back into Shao Sirong’s bosom.

Squeak squeak squeak! The little packrat was startled by Ye Xiuwen’s sudden action. When it finally regained its senses, it glared at Ye Xiuwen and squeaked at him with indignance.

“Haven’t you heard that men and women should not behave so intimately? You’re already seventeen years-old, yet you still linger around by Xiaomo’s side. What are you trying to do here?” Ye Xiuwen coldly rebuked, “Back then, we only thought that you were a little pet, so such behaviour was not inexcusable. But you’re a man and you possess your own cognitive functions; surely, you understand the meaning of propriety, don’t you?”

Jun Xiaomo immediately thought about how she had carried the little packrat about in her bosom and even placed her little packrat in her clothes. The corner of her lips began to twitch uncontrollably.

My goodness…What in the world, why has the little packrat turned into a human now?!

Squeak squeak squeak! Squeak squeak squeak! The little packrat brandished its claws as it protested against Ye Xiuwen’s actions and his rebuke. It did not think there was anything wrong it did. Besides, this idiot Ye Xiuwen had never maintained any form of propriety with Jun Xiaomo either!

Old man Chi had always been protective of his own people. He also heard of the little packrat’s complaints through his great grandson’s squeaks.

“Young man, my great grandson complains that you haven’t acted with propriety either. He says that you have even shared the same room as this girl for some time too.” Old man Chi refuted.

Jun Xiaomo’s face immediately turned red. Back then, she had used an Alteration Talisman and she wore the appearance and identity of a young man. Thus, there was no issue when she had shared a room with Ye Xiuwen. After all, they had only innocently shared the same bed for the night.

If not for old man Chi’s reminder, she had already forgotten about this incident.

But now that old man Chi had brought it up again, she truly felt rather embarrassed about this matter. As to the exact reason for her embarrassment, she would rather not delve into such details.

As she repressed the roiling emotions in her heart, Jun Xiaomo calmed herself and interjected, “Actually…that’s not really martial brother’s fault. I’d been using an Alteration Talisman back then, and even martial brother didn’t know I was Jun Xiaomo. Back then, I had donned the identity of a young man who had left his own sect.”

Old man Chi cast a strange look at Jun Xiaomo, and then he glanced over at Ye Xiuwen. And then his attention shifted between the two of them for some time. Finally, he snorted again as he prodded his great grandson on the table as he teased, “Little brat, you’d better pull up your socks. Seems like someone else is trying to snatch away your dear fiancée.”

Squeak squeak~ The little packrat lowered its head as it gnawed on its own claws, selectively ignoring old man Chi’s teasing.

Shao Sirong sighed. As a woman, her intuition in this regard was better than old man Chi’s. I’m afraid that the relationship between this martial sister and brother duo has already far exceeded that of mere martial siblings.

It’s just that these two simpletons haven’t realized their feelings for each other.

As she thought about it, she glanced over at the little packrat that was laying on the table, evidently dismayed by old man Chi’s words. Thus, Shao Sirong decided to be slightly “selfish” and not alert Jun Xiaomo and Ye Xiuwen to their own thoughts for now.

If she remained taciturn about their feelings, at least her son would have some hope in the near future. But if she enlightened them about the true nature of their feelings with each other, then they might well end up getting together to the exclusion of her own child.

As for whether or not her son possesses the ability to “snatch” his own “fiancée” back, that would be entirely up to him. This matter was going to be entirely out of her hands.