Bai Fengjiu had been chased by the White Tiger for quite a while, completely forgetting that she had come here to look for treasures. Just as she faced a life-or-death moment, she saw a figure in purple with silver hair effortlessly dispatch the White Tiger with a sword. As a wave of relief washed over her, the realization hit her: purple clothes and silver hair! It was the Emperor, Emperor Donghua! She had been saved by the person she admired most in the entire world!
By this time, the White Tiger had been struck down to the ground by the Canghe Sword. The Red Demon Lord arrived just in time to witness the scene, but because Bai Fengjiu was blocked from view by the Emperor's tall frame, he did not see her. The Red Demon Lord immediately challenged the Emperor: "Why has Emperor Donghua trespassed into our Demon Tribe Forbidden Land?!"
Emperor Donghua: "This lord merely came to take a look around."
Red Demon Lord: "To look around? The Emperor must have forgotten that this is the territory of the Demon Tribe, which naturally falls under my watch."
Emperor Donghua glanced at the fallen White Tiger: "It charged at me first." It was no wonder Emperor Donghua thought so, as he had not seen Bai Fengjiu either. He had only felt that the moment he descended, this White Tiger had lunged fiercely toward him, prompting him to casually toss out the Canghe Sword to teach it a lesson.
Red Demon Lord: "What?"
Emperor Donghua: "I came to inspect the area, and before I even touched the ground, it lunged at this lord in an attempt to attack me. If your heart aches for it, simply demand compensation from Taichen Palace."
Listening from the sidelines, Bai Fengjiu grew furious. These people of the Demon Tribe were truly twisting black and white! Clearly, that Monster had tried to harm her. Hmph! Let her show them how she would handle this. Thinking this, she rolled up her sleeves and marched straight toward the Red Demon Lord.
Bai Fengjiu: "Hey! You just said this is the Demon Tribe Forbidden Land, and you called yourself 'this lord'—are you the Demon Lord?"
The Red Demon Lord was startled. Where had this young girl come from? Then, recalling her utterly audacious and unmannerly tone, he replied ungraciously: "Precisely! And who might you be? Why are you wandering around our Demon Tribe Forbidden Land?"
Bai Fengjiu: "This Princess stands by her name and sits by her surname—I am none other than Princess of Qingqiu, Bai Fengjiu."
The Red Demon Lord was taken aback. How did someone from Qingqiu get dragged into this? Although he was wary of Qingqiu, a dignified Demon Lord was hardly going to cower before a mere Little Princess, so he questioned her again: "You still haven't answered what this lord asked: why are you here?"
Hearing the unfriendly tone in his voice, Bai Fengjiu's anger flared even higher. "This Princess was merely out for a stroll and happened to arrive here, yet the moment your mount, the White Tiger, appeared, it charged blindly at me to bite and maul me. Fortunately, Emperor Donghua intervened just in time; otherwise, by now I would already be inside that beast's belly. Have you ever considered what consequences you would face from Qingqiu if that had truly happened? Instead of thanking the Emperor for sparing you from a massive disaster, you actually have the nerve to demand compensation from Taichen Palace. On what grounds?!" Bai Fengjiu thought to herself that she had to stand up for her beloved and get back at this man.
Hearing this, the Red Demon Lord fell into deep thought. Setting aside the question of why the Princess of Qingqiu had appeared in the Demon Tribe Forbidden Land in the first place, if she were to truly perish on Demon territory, Qingqiu would certainly not let the matter rest. Demon Lord Miaoluo had already been sealed, and the strength of the Demon Tribe was a shadow of its former self; this was not the time to make an enemy of Qingqiu. Furthermore, had this Little Princess merely wandered here by accident out of playfulness, or was it a deliberate act? If it was an accident, so be it, but if it was intentional, could Qingqiu be connected with the Demon Lord? Since Demon Lord Miaoluo was imprisoned here—a matter concerning the peace of the Three Realms and the stability of the Six Realms—and since Emperor Donghua happened to be present, it would be best to let him take charge of the situation so that someone else would be standing at the front to shoulder any future fallout.
With this thought in mind, he said, "So it was to save the Little Princess that the Emperor intervened and injured my mount. The Little Princess speaks with good reason; if a Princess of Qingqiu were to perish on Demon territory, Qingqiu would certainly not let us off easily. I thank the Emperor for your timely help, but since the intrusion of the Qingqiu Princess into the Demon Tribe Forbidden Land concerns the Demon Lord and the peace of the Three Realms, how does the Emperor decree that this matter should be handled?"
Emperor Donghua: "All of you wait here for this lord." With that, Emperor Donghua stepped into Miaoyi Abyss to check on Miaoluo's condition. The seal showed no abnormalities, and after listening to Miaoluo spew a few more pieces of trash talk, he walked back out.
As he emerged, Emperor Donghua thought to himself: Since Miaoluo is imprisoned here, it is better not to let everyone know that the seal here has experienced abnormalities, lest it unsettle people's hearts. With this in mind, he glanced over at Bai Fengjiu, wondering whether her presence was accidental or intentional, and whether Qingqiu had any ties to the Demon Lord. After careful consideration, he said to the Red Demon Lord: "Today's events arose quite suddenly, but fortunately, the seal imprisoning Miaoluo remains undisturbed. As for the injury to your White Tiger, this lord will naturally provide compensation. Afterward, Zhonglin, the immortal attendant of Taichen Palace, will deliver the reparations. Since there is nothing else, this lord will take the Princess of Qingqiu and depart."
Red Demon Lord: "My thanks to the Emperor."
Emperor Donghua waved his hand and took Bai Fengjiu back to Qingqiu. On the journey back, Bai Fengjiu looked at Emperor Donghua by her side—his purple robes and silver hair, his handsome and striking features. He had protected her from the jaws of the White Tiger and had even stood up for her in the face of the Red Demon Lord's hostility. Her heart pounded wildly. She felt as though she had fallen in love with Emperor Donghua—not merely with the adoration of the past, but with a deep, romantic yearning. Meanwhile, Emperor Donghua was thinking that he would need to keep a closer eye on Qingqiu from now on. If today's incident truly was a coincidence, then so be it; but if not, he would need to make preparations early, just in case Qingqiu really was in league with the Demon Lord.