There was no mistaking it—the beautiful peony-like pattern in front of her was unmistakable.
At this moment, Vanessa felt that the furry little fox in her arms was no longer a cute, fluffy creature, but rather a hot potato, causing her movements to stiffen.
"Little fox~" The little fox in her arms seemed oblivious to Vanessa’s stiffened movements. It continued enjoying the soft and jade-like embrace of the girl, rubbing against the full, plump fruits of her chest like a spoiled child, sending waves of white snow cascading.
The little white fox was soft and smooth, its fur felt like the finest silk, and it blinked its playful, seductive eyes, a charm that no girl could resist.
However, Vanessa wasn’t one of those naive little girls.
On the surface, she remained unmoved, but in her heart, she knew that the bundle of fur in her arms was a ticking time bomb. A slight misstep could trigger an explosion that could destroy entire cities.
Vanessa recalled that, as one of the top combatants in Kareliman Citrus, Jiuli Xue, the future Demon King, had terrifying battle strength. With just a flick of her tail, she could reduce an entire town to rubble.
She was bloodthirsty, sadistic, extremely unpredictable, and utterly untrusting of anyone. A true mad S queen.
Vanessa remembered how, in the original plot, even after Aeciphysis officially took Jiuli Xue into the Crystal Palace, their daily flirtations were filled with subtle tension. One moment, everything was sweet and loving, the next, that woman's sharp claws were just inches from her neck. You couldn’t tell if she was playing a dangerous game or making a joke, or perhaps doing both at once.
If one were to describe Jiuli Xue, it would be like a piece of candy laced with arsenic—sweet and tempting, yet deadly dangerous.
As the saying goes, "Death under the peony is the most graceful," living under her charm might cost you your soul without even realizing it, and possibly even your heart—quite literally.
Jiuli Xue was a crazy beauty. You could never guess what she was thinking, nor understand her motives for doing certain things.
If Vanessa were to rank the female characters based on danger, Jiuli Xue would earn four and a half stars, just behind Aeciphysis.
Dealing with such a psycho was far too random, and it clearly exceeded the risk tolerance of Vanessa herself.
Why? She couldn’t understand. Why would Jiuli Xue show up here, at this time?
Could it be that in the original plot, the red demon lackeys searching the forest were actually looking for Jiuli Xue? This sort of major event surely couldn’t go without involvement from demon generals.
After thinking it through, Vanessa realized that the only variable was that she had arrived earlier than expected.
Her guess was that, because she came so early and happened to catch the red demons during their peak search in the forest, she had encountered a demon general-level demon.
In the original plot, Aeciphysis came later, and the demons didn’t dare stay long in human territories, leaving only a few straggling lackeys behind.
This would explain everything.
As for why Jiuli Xue was being chased so desperately by a few red demon lackeys?
Vanessa found an explanation in the setting.
If she remembered correctly, Jiuli Xue, the offspring of the King of All Foxes and the Queen of Succubi, carried the blood of two powerful demon king candidate families. With her unparalleled talent and comprehension, she had carved out her own place in the demon world at a young age.
However, because of her mixed blood, the conflict between the two mighty bloodlines caused her to suffer from a rare disease from an early age.
When the disease flared up, her strength would vanish, leaving her as powerless as a helpless child.
It seemed the red demons were planning to capture her at her weakest moment.
But in the original plot, there was no mention of her being captured by the red demons.
So, even if she hadn’t arrived, would this white fox have been able to escape?
If that’s the case, everything made sense now—why Jiuli Xue would later guide Vanessa to absorb the cursed soul.
Perhaps it was because, after escaping the pursuit, Jiuli Xue, for some reason, stayed in human lands, not returning to the demon territories, and then happened to meet Vanessa.
With that thought, Vanessa looked at the jade-white fox in her arms, paired with its deliberately cute little gaze, making it hard to tell that the fox was scheming.
Nice acting.
Vanessa gazed at the little jade fox, its expression like that of a cat rescued from drowning, now finally finding a safe haven. It looked so terrified and relieved at the same time.
This was the first time Vanessa had complimented someone’s acting skills, and it might very well be the last.
Then came the issue—Jiuli Xue’s strange illness was her only weakness, her fatal flaw. She kept it a secret from everyone; any living being who knew about it had to die, not even her trusted followers were exempt.
This was clearly a well-conspired action aimed at Jiuli Xue. How did other demons know about it?
Forget it, the internal affairs of the demon race had nothing to do with her, and now was clearly not the time to dwell on these things.
In the span of a few breaths, Vanessa’s mind raced with countless thoughts, yet on the surface, she remained calm and tender as she looked at the little fox in her arms, showing no hint of suspicion.
Life is full of ups and downs. Before she could even solidify her victory and bask in her triumph, she had to start thinking about how to survive.
Yes, Vanessa had already guessed it—the crazy fox in her arms had its eyes set on her life.
The way the fox acted so dependent and affectionate was all an act, like a fox pretending to owe her a debt.
Why the act? Naturally, to make her lower her guard. At this moment, the fox was probably already scheming a hundred different ways to turn her into sashimi.
How could she be so sure?
These red demon lackeys and the chieftain had exhausted her just to deal with them, but the demons on the other side were nothing more than low-tier, small fry who couldn't even sit at the same table as their superiors.
They were ignorant and didn’t even know how they died. But would Jiuli Xue, who witnessed all of this, not know?
As the heir of a demon king candidate family, Jiuli Xue would undoubtedly recognize the Holy Flame that had slain countless demon kings.
Jiuli Xue wasn’t the kind of person who would waste time on anyone. Knowing why she coincidentally met Winnie in the original plot, Jiuli Xue likely deliberately guided him to absorb the cursed soul.
The reason? She had overheard his last name: Aeciphysis.
This piqued her interest.
Before she transmigrated, Vanessa hadn’t fully understood Jiuli Xue’s thought process, but now, she was starting to get it.
She remembered a detail from the original plot: Jiuli Xue’s father, the King of All Foxes, had been killed by the last Fanghui Saintess, Vanessa's great-grandmother.
To guide the descendant of her father’s killer to slowly fall into darkness, to even taint her with the cursed soul most opposed by her family, causing the Aeciphysis heir to walk the path of evil—what could be more exciting for a Demon King than this?
Vanessa's smile was like warm sunlight, blooming in a field of flowers, gently stroking the little fox’s forehead.
The little fox purred in contentment, rubbing against Vanessa’s soft palm in a spoiled manner.
The delicate and beautiful girl holding the cute little white fox seemed like a harmonious and peaceful picture.
However, neither the girl nor the fox were what they seemed on the surface. The internal drama between them was likely more intricate than a suspense film.
But one thing was the same: they were both thinking about how to trip each other up.
It was simple, really. Vanessa held the key to the plot, knew Jiuli Xue’s identity, and was fully aware of her weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
Jiuli Xue was at her weakest now, and this was undoubtedly the best time to strike. With a little pressure, Vanessa could easily end her life.
But should Jiuli Xue leave in a less dignified manner?
After a brief thought, Vanessa dismissed the idea.
Jiuli Xue had managed to escape the red demons' encirclement, proving that she surely had a way to escape even when someone like Vanessa had murderous intentions.
She wasn’t a Saintess, nor a heroine—just a small NPC in the grand scheme, unable to bear the consequences of eliminating a future Demon King.
On the other hand, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Jiuli Xue, at least for now, would remain her greatest enemy. This would divert Aeciphysis’ attention and prevent her from dealing with Vanessa, her old foe.
Most importantly, the demon race was not a united front. The infighting among demon lords was even more intense than the struggles between human nations. With an unstable factor like Jiuli Xue, the internal conflict of the demons would weaken them, preventing them from focusing on human territories.
In other words, keeping Jiuli Xue alive would be advantageous for humans. If she were to leave, the demon race would be more unified and could focus on wreaking havoc on humanity.
Moreover, Jiuli Xue had no interest in burning, killing, and looting like the other demons; she preferred to torment strong enemies and rivals, showing no interest in weak, helpless civilians. This was the biggest difference between her and other demon lords.
Besides, Jiuli Xue still had many important moments ahead in the plot. Vanessa wasn’t sure what would happen if Jiuli Xue were removed early.
All in all, Jiuli Xue couldn’t die just yet.
And besides, how could she let such fresh "leeks" go to waste?
Sometimes, targeting the heart is far more sophisticated than simply killing.
Vanessa had already come up with a brilliant idea—an idea that could humiliate Jiuli Xue to her core, make her pay for her past disgrace, and also use her as a pawn. It was a perfect three-in-one strategy.
Alright, future Demon Queen, if you like acting so much, then I’ll gladly play along.