Lying in bed before sleep overtook me, my thoughts drifted. When it came to the subject of love, I wasn’t as innocent as I made myself out to be. Deep down, I harbored a few secrets I wouldn’t admit to anyone—not even myself.
A hundred years ago, as Qing Han grew older, his stunningly handsome face—a face that could outshine the average man in the Three Realms by miles—was constantly before my eyes. It was only natural for it to stir faint ripples in my heart, long dormant from a millennia of solitude.
But back then, I was merely a battle-hardened Goddess of War, someone who had known bloodshed and battlefields but never romance or tenderness. I was too naive to recognize that the faint stirrings in my heart toward Qing Han were... affection.
I also firmly believed that Qing Han could never see me as anything other than his savior, his master, and perhaps even a familial figure to depend on. I never tried to uncover his feelings, nor did I sort out my own. But to say I had no awareness at all would be a lie. Over the course of that century, there were two moments—two occasions—when I became keenly aware that my feelings toward Qing Han were... different.
The first was when a pig demon from the mountains transformed into a human and fell in love with Qing Han.
At first, the little pig demon admired him in secret, and though I noticed, I didn’t comment.
Then came the day Qing Han left the mountain for two days without informing me. I searched high and low across Mistveil Mountain, worried sick. When he finally returned, he wasn’t alone—he came back with the pig demon. That’s when I learned that she had lured him away to stay outside the mountain for two days.
I kept my expression neutral. “So you’ve grown up now. You can leave the mountain for fun without even letting me know.”
Qing Han, knowing my temperament as well as he did, immediately picked up on my displeasure despite my calm tone. His face turned anxious as he stammered, “I thought I’d be back within a day... Master...”
“Divine Lady,” the pig demon interrupted, “please don’t blame Qing Han. I was the one who tricked him into going with me. I told him my grandfather was sick, and that’s why he came with me...” She lowered her head pitifully. “If you want to blame someone, blame me.”
Did she think playing the victim would earn her my forgiveness?
Raising an eyebrow, I replied, “Very well. Then tell me—how should you be punished?”
The pig demon froze, utterly caught off guard. Clearly, she hadn’t expected me to take her words seriously. “I...”
The scene grew tense. The pig demon bit her lip, her face full of grievance, but I remained unmoved, arms crossed.
That’s when Qing Han spoke up. “Master, it was my fault. I was careless and didn’t inform you before leaving the mountain...”
Ah, the little brat had learned to defend another girl in front of me!
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