Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

The torrential rain showed no signs of abating. By the latter half of the night, the thunder and downpour intensified, as if trying to submerge the entire Winter Bear Tribe.

The once somewhat rugged paths were turned into a muddy mess by the rain. Icicles hanging from the giant trees had mostly broken off, falling from high branches and shattering with crisp crack sounds upon hitting the ground.

Since evening, the forest had been filled with the intermittent wails of wild beasts, likely injured by the falling icicles.

To care for the injured cubs in the tribe, Grandpa Panda's large cave had been commandeered. Xiong Xiaohong and another female bear demon were in charge of looking after them.

Xiong Gungun, mostly recovered, sat on a soft cushion, watching over She Qin and Xiao Ying beside him, while worrying about Qiuqiu Jiejie, who always gave him beef jerky.

"Xiao Bo He," he said, "when do you think Qiuqiu Jiejie will get better? Will she be better tomorrow? When will Qiuqiu Jiejie's husband come back? Will he be back tonight? Xiao Bo He, there are so many wild beasts crying in the forest. If we go out now, can we pick up a lot of meat?"

Xiao Bo He was holding the knitting needles that Grandma Ruyi had made for her earlier. Following Ruan Qiuqiu's instructions, she was knitting with wool, her eyes red-rimmed. Hearing Xiong Gungun, she turned and looked at him. "I don't know…"

More mature than the naive Xiong Gungun, and with a sensitive nature, Mo Bo He had realized early on that the situation was more serious than they thought.

Initially, Xiao Bo He had believed that with their departure from the Winter Bear Tribe and Grandma Ruyi's return, their lives would quickly improve.

But shortly after arriving at the Winter Bear Tribe, dangers had escalated, and with friends and family injured one after another, it was becoming unbearable for her.

Hearing the distress in her voice, Xiong Gungun comforted her, "Xiao Bo He, don't worry, everyone will be alright."

Xiao Bo He gave him a weak smile but didn't reply.

She knew Xiong Gungun meant well, but at this moment, any comfort felt hollow.

She Qin lay beside them, his pale cheeks reflecting his weakened state. After knitting for a while, Xiao Bo He finished a scarf and wrapped it around She Qin's neck.

She thought that perhaps She Qin's constant self-consciousness stemmed from his tattered clothes.

Xiao Bo He decided to knit more, making a scarf for Xiao She Ying as well.

From time to time, she would get up to help Xiong Xiaohong care for the injured cubs, silently praying for Ruan Qiuqiu in her heart. It was the only thing she could do.

But Xiao Bo He's prayers seemed to have no effect. On the morning of the third day, the weather worsened, and Ruan Qiuqiu's condition deteriorated further.

Her breathing became rapid, blood trickled from her lips, and the wolf-ear-like marks on her right wrist gradually reddened, resembling innate brands.

Yue Chen could no longer control Ruan Qiuqiu's temperature, and they could only continuously change her water to cool her down.

Tian Ye, not daring to delay, fed Ruan Qiuqiu the leaf imbued with potent life force, only then feeling slightly relieved as Ruan Qiuqiu's complexion improved a little.

Tian Ye was anxious but had no other recourse than to wait passively.

She had never wished so fervently for the weather to clear and for Yuan Jue to become the Demon King and descend upon the Demon Continent.

Yue Chen, observing Ruan Qiuqiu's pale face, also wore a grim expression.

He was now having second thoughts. If he saved Ruan Qiuqiu, his cultivation would regress, and he might offend Mo Xi. If he didn't do his utmost to save her, and the former Demon King awakened and returned, he would be a dead man.

Although he wasn't afraid of Mo Xi, the regression in cultivation was unappealing. But having helped this far, he couldn't simply give up halfway.

Yue Chen touched the black ram horns on his head. After a long pause, he decided to gamble.

After all, his brother also wanted to become the Demon King. If Ruan Qiuqiu's husband successfully awakened, perhaps he could spare his brother's life.

Just as Yue Chen was weighing the pros and cons, a sudden, violent commotion erupted outside the cave. Yue Chen's eyelids flickered. He remained still, keeping his demon horns illuminated.

The weakened Qing Ruyi, leaning against Mo Bugui, opened her eyes at the noise.

Looking at the room full of elderly and weak demons, Tian Ye, with no other choice, gritted her teeth and rushed out to investigate the source of the disturbance.

Upon exiting, she immediately sensed something was amiss.

Previously, the weather outside was merely a thunderstorm. Apart from the rain, wind, falling branches, and the howls of wild beasts, everything was normal. But now, amidst the cacophony, a "da-da-da" sound, like the galloping hooves of Third-Order Fiery Steeds, had emerged, growing closer and more urgent.

Tian Ye frowned. Ignoring the downpour, she cast a spatial spell, unfurling her wings and taking flight to survey the surroundings.

Through the hazy rain curtain, even with her Fifth-Order early-stage cultivator's vision, she couldn't see clearly, but she still noticed something unusual.

Not far from the Winter Bear Tribe, a group of blurry figures, mounted on Fiery Steeds and wearing rain gear similar to the straw capes Ruan Qiuqiu made, were rapidly approaching.

Tian Ye's heart pounded. She swiftly swooped down. As she neared the group, she discerned the appearance of the leader, who bore a striking resemblance to Ruan Qiuqiu.

Tian Ye suddenly recalled the day they exchanged items, when Ruan Qiuqiu had hesitated, a look of surprise on her face, and softly asked, "Tian Ye, did you see that person's face clearly?"

Were these people from the Underground Human Tribe? Why were they here? Could they be Ruan Qiuqiu's relatives?

Or had they somehow learned that Yue Chen had traded the treasure to them and come to plunder it?

Tian Ye's thoughts darkened. The current situation was too precarious to not consider the worst.

She flapped her wings and saw a cart following the group, carrying a large, ice-jade-like chest.

What was inside?

Tian Ye's unease intensified. She was about to land when she heard a gentle voice, "This esteemed lady of the Eagle Tribe, what are you looking at?"

Startled, Tian Ye looked down to find that the Fiery Steeds had stopped at some point. The leader, cloaked in rain gear, was looking up, revealing a gentle and refined face. His dark eyes gazed directly at her, seemingly able to see her clearly despite the rain and distance. His voice, too, carried clearly through the downpour, indicating considerable strength.

"Don't worry, I mean no harm." Ruan Hanshan smiled at Tian Ye. "I'm looking for a human named Ruan Qiuqiu. You must know where she is."

"Who knows if you're telling the truth," Tian Ye replied, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ruan Hanshan, from the Underground Human Tribe. This morning, I received urgent news from a missing human elder, instructing me to bring our tribe's treasure to rescue someone."

Hearing this, Tian Ye felt slightly reassured. She hesitantly asked, "Who asked you to come and rescue her?" Why had the Underground Human Tribe, previously their competitors, suddenly become so friendly?

"It was the human elder's Lord." Ruan Hanshan's voice remained gentle, his features as serene as an ink painting. But his soft words resonated clearly amidst the torrential rain—

"The Demon King, Yuan Jue."

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