The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

When Zuo Qingqiu rode the escape light, passing through the morning mist and the still-lingering, crisp clouds carrying the scent of rain, and quietly landed back on the familiar jade platform atop Zixu Peak, the sky was already bright.

The time was approximately the beginning of the Si hour (9-11 AM).

The autumn sun, having shed the scorching heat of summer, became warm and bright, pouring down like fine glass, gilding the palaces, ancient trees, strange rocks, and spiritual herbs atop Zixu Peak with a soft golden edge.

The air was filled with a refreshing scent, the aroma of earth, grass, and a faint spiritual fragrance left after last night's continuous autumn rain. Inhaling it brought a slight coolness that invigorated the spirit.

The sky after the rain was an almost clear azure blue, with only a few wisps of very pale white clouds, like torn cotton wool, drifting slowly across the vast expanse of the sky.

A mountain breeze, carrying a damp coolness, brushed against the edges of Zuo Qingqiu's green robe and straw hat, and also stirred a few late-blooming white chrysanthemums in the corner of the platform. Raindrops remaining on the petals rolled down, refracting into tiny, colorful halos in the sunlight.

Everything seemed so peaceful and serene, a stark contrast to the bloody, chaotic, and destructive scene at Yanfu Mountain the previous night—it was like two completely different worlds.

Zuo Qingqiu stood on the platform and gently exhaled.

The breath turned into a wisp of white mist in the cool air, and then dissipated.

Her blue robe remained impeccably clean, and her face beneath the bamboo hat was calm and serene. Only in the depths of her tranquil eyes seemed to linger a trace of indifferent indifference, a legacy of slaughter and destruction.

But this indifference was soon broken.

"elder sister--!"

A clear, joyful, and longing shout broke the tranquility of the summit of Zixu Peak, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

With that shout, a small, silver-white figure shot out from the corridor beside the main hall like an arrow, carrying a fragrant breeze, and without saying a word, plunged into Zuo Qingqiu's arms!

Zuo Qingqiu's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed.

She didn't flinch, letting the small figure bump into her arms, her hands even subconsciously rising slightly to support him.

Looking down, she saw a fluffy, silvery-white little head in her arms. Little White buried its face deep in her clothes, its little hands tightly wrapped around her waist, so tightly that it seemed as if it wanted to meld itself into her body.

"Sister...you've been gone for so long..."

Xiao Bai's muffled voice came from her arms, carrying a barely perceptible sob, as well as a deep sense of dependence and grievance.

Zuo Qingqiu was stunned for a moment, and then the corner of her heart that had been frozen by the killing seemed to be quietly melted by this sudden warmth and dependence.

She raised her hand and gently placed it on Xiaobai's soft, smooth, silver hair, which looked like it was woven from moonlight, and gently ruffled it.

"It didn't take long," her voice softened unconsciously, carrying a hint of helplessness and indulgence, "It was just one night."

"Even one night is a long time!" Xiaobai lifted her head from her arms, revealing a delicate, porcelain-doll-like face, its eyes slightly red-rimmed. Her big eyes were brimming with tears as she pouted and retorted stubbornly, "Xiaobai has been home alone for so long! It's gotten dark and then light again, and my sister still hasn't come back... If only I had gone with her!"

As she spoke, she seemed to recall the anxiety and worry of waiting alone, and her eyes reddened even more, on the verge of tears.

Looking at Xiaobai's appearance, Zuo Qingqiu felt a slight sense of helplessness turn into a deeper tenderness.

She knew that Xiaobai depended on her, and she also understood that although the little guy seemed playful, he was actually very sensitive.

Last night, he went to the Yanfu Mountains alone. Although he was confident that he would be fine, Xiaobai was probably on tenterhooks all night.

"Silly girl." She sighed softly, her voice even gentler, her fingers brushing against Xiaobai's slightly reddened eyes, wiping away the tears that were about to fall. "But I'm back safe and sound, aren't I?"

She didn't refute "it won't be long" or explain "taking you to danger," but simply let Xiaobai hold her, gently stroking her hair, and quietly waited for her to calm down.

Sometimes, companionship and acceptance are more powerful than any words of comfort.

Xiao Bai rubbed her pretty face against Zuo Qingqiu's cool clothes, smelling the familiar, cool fragrance, like the faint scent of bamboo after rain mixed with cold plum blossoms. The unease and grievances in her heart gradually dissipated like the morning dew under the sun.

She lingered in her sister's arms for a while, until she felt her heartbeat finally return to normal. She then let go a little embarrassedly, but still stood close to Zuo Qingqiu, one hand still secretly tugging at her sleeve.

"Sister..." She looked up, her eyes sparkling, all her previous grievances gone, replaced by her lively and curious self. "Did you encounter anything fun on your trip? Tell Xiaobai!"

"Fun stuff?" Zuo Qingqiu was taken aback by the question, then shook her head helplessly. "I'm going... to exterminate demons, what 'fun' stuff is there?"

She originally wanted to say "murder" or "revenge," but when the words came to her lips, she felt that these words were too bloody and not suitable for a naive person to hear, so she changed to a gentler way of saying it.

"Exterminating demons can be fun!" Xiaobai clearly didn't think so. She tugged at Zuo Qingqiu's sleeve and shook it gently, her eyes full of anticipation. "Those bad guys must have a lot of strange and wonderful methods, right? How did you deal with them, sister? Did you encounter any particularly powerful or cunning ones? Tell me about it!"

Looking into Xiaobai's big eyes, which were full of curiosity and a desire to "hear stories," Zuo Qingqiu felt even more helpless.

This silly girl seemed completely unaware that the "destroying demons" she spoke of was a bloody, cruel, life-or-death slaughter.

However, this is for the best.

The darkness and bloodshed should not have polluted her pure world.

Unable to resist Xiaobai's persistent pleading, Zuo Qingqiu had no choice but to take her hand and slowly walk towards the quiet bamboo house in the bamboo forest of Zixu Peak. As he did so, he told Xiaobai about his experiences on Yanfu Mountain the night before, picking out some of the less exciting parts in a tone that was as plain and simple as possible.

She did not describe the horrific scene of the blood sacrifice, nor did she elaborate on Xia Zhu's final madness and distortion, nor did she mention the appearance of the remnant soul of the Earth Ancestor.

It only briefly described how the demons left behind by the Diluo Sect put up a stubborn resistance, how they dealt with it, and how they finally wiped out that demonic land with swift and decisive measures.

Even with this simplified and refined "story," Xiaobai still found it fascinating.

Sometimes she would clench her little fists in tension, and other times she would clap her hands in delight when Zuo Qingqiu effortlessly thwarted her opponent's tactics. The expressions on her little face were incredibly vivid.

However, when Zuo Qingqiu finished speaking about how the witch, knowing she was no match for the demon, still chose to stay and fight in the most extreme way, ultimately dying, Xiao Bai's excited expression gradually turned into confusion.

"Sister," Xiaobai stopped, tilted her head back, her clear eyes filled with confusion, "that witch... she knew she would die if she stayed, so why... why did she stay? Wouldn't it have been better to run away?"